AP Biology Discussion Notes

Tuesday 4/28/2015

Goals for the Day

• Understand how we influence the environment & organisms around us

• Be able to tie together multiple disciplines in biology

Question of the Day 4/28

• Why do different proteins or pigments absorb different wavelengths of light, from what do they derive this property?

Color Vision – DAY 2

What is Ecology?

• Ecology– The study of interactions among organisms

and among organisms and their environment

The Organization of the Living World

OrganelleCell

TissueOrgan

Organ SystemOrganism

SpeciesPopulationCommunity

Ecosystem (B & A factors included)

BiomeBiosphere

Many interactions are related to how an organism gets its ENERGY!

Producers vs. Consumers

Producers: • Organisms that first capture energy

(produce their own food)• What type of factors do they

rely/depend on for energy?

• RELY ON ABIOTIC FACTORS FOR ENERGY

Consumers: • Organisms that consume other

organisms

• What type of factors do they rely/depend on for energy?

• RELY ON BIOTIC FACTORS FOR ENERGY

Consumers:Herbivores:

– Organisms that consume plants only

– Ex. cows

Carnivores: – Organisms that consume

other consumers.– Ex. Mountain lions

Consumers:• Omnivores:

– Organisms that consume both plants and other consumers

– Ex. Humans

• Detritivores: – Organism that consume dead organic material– Ex. Vultures

• Decomposers: – recycle nutrients in the ecosystem (nature’s

recycler)– Bacteria and fungi that cause decay

Food Chain

• Should always start with a ____________.

• Arrows show the direction of energy flow.

The Circle(s) of Life• Describe the flow

of energy

• Describe the “gas exchange” that takes place.

The Food Web Concept Food webs consist of

trophic levels—or “feeding levels”. Examples are producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, etc. Label the trophic level(s) of each organism in this food web.

What would be the effect on the food web if:• The frogs disappeared?• There was a huge

increase in the number of mice?

The Great Energy Pyramid

90-10 rule! 90% of the energy is “lost” and only 10% is available to the next trophic level.

The 90% is “lost” because it takes energy to live. Cellular respiration burns food, captures some energy in ATP and the rest is given off as heat.

• If there were 10,000 lbs of peaches (the only food source in this particular ecosystem) would there be more or less lbs of consumers? Explain your answer.

The Pyramid of Energy or The Pyramid of “Biomass”

“Biomass” is the mass of all of the organisms at a particular trophic level. There CANNOT be more biomass or energy at a higher trophic level.

Discuss with Group

The Ecology ofColor Vision in Monkeys

Ecology: Why Trichromatic Vision?

One of the above leaves has black fungus on it.

Can you tell which one?

DICHROMATIC VISION

Ecology: Why Trichromatic Vision?

Leaf with black fungus

TRICHROMATIC VISION

Ecology: Why Trichromatic Vision?

In the above picture, the red leaves are not palatable but the green leaves are nutritious.

Which leaves are which?

DICHROMATIC VISION

Ecology: Why Trichromatic Vision?

DICHROMATIC VISION TRICHROMATIC VISION

With trichromatic vision, distinguishing between important colors becomes possible.

#3 & 4

Food Selection – The Driver of Trichromacy Evolution?

Food Selection

• Research has linked color vision with the ability to select ripe food when foraging.

Which peaches are ripe?

A) A

B) B

C) Both A and B

D) Neither A nor B

E) I can’t tell

A

B

A. A

B. B

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A nor B

E. I can’t tell

A

B

Which peaches are ripe?

Food Selection – The Research Part I

F 1,10 = 8, p < 0.05, Smith et al., 2003

TRICHROMATS DICHROMATS

Selected ripe fruit 53% of the time.

Selected ripe fruit 37% of the time.

Given choice of food…

vs.

Food Selection – The Research Part II

Caine and Mundy, 2000

Food Selection – The Research Part II

Caine and Mundy, 2000

Predict: What was the result of the Kix experiment?

1. There was no difference in dichromat and trichromat ability to find the Kix in both environments.

2. Trichromats were superior to dichromats in finding orange Kix; there was no difference in ability to find green Kix.

3. Trichromats could find orange AND green Kix better than dichromats.

4. Trichromats were superior to dichromats in finding orange Kix; dichromats were superior to trichromats in finding green Kix.

Food Selection – The Research Part II

Caine and Mundy, 2000

Food Selection – The Research Part II

Caine and Mundy, 2000

Trichromats are more effective than dichromats selecting orange food in a green environment…

… but dichromats are more effective than trichromats selecting green food in a green environment.

Could there be an advantage to being dichromatic in certain environments?

If you were in a food-foraging competition, would having color vision give you an advantage over someone who was colorblind?

A) Almost certainly.

B) Sometimes.

C) Unsure.

D) Probably not.

E) Absolutely not.

Let’s investigate further…

Go to: http://www.evo-ed.com/Pages/Primates/PatchGame/PatchGame.html

If you were in a food-foraging competition, would having color vision give you an advantage over someone who was colorblind?

Online Color-Vision Game• Visit the online color vision game at:http://www.evo-ed.com/Pages/Primates/PatchGame/PatchGame.html

Dichromatic Vision

Trichromatic Vision