Here are my collated notes on Plants, Animals, Fungi and Bacteria.
- Although plants do not move from place to place, they can move certain parts of themselves to respond to changes above them.
- I thought of an acronym to remember the pertinent chart of yeast and mound: Yeast Make Bread, Mould On Bread (MOB)
- Yeast is a unicellular fungus that is so tiny that you need a microscope to see it. When the yeast starts to leaven or make the dough rise, it produces carbon dioxide gas. The holes that you see in bread or cheese is the result of carbon dioxide gas being released through the bread.
- Truffles are a type of fungus
- Penicillium is a fungus used to make penicillin
- Hermes’ 2021 Victoria travel bag incorporated Sylvania (mycelium leather, which comes from the vegetative part of fungi). Mycelium is used in industries such as construction and packaging
- Trichoderma reesei is a type of fungus that enables cracks in concrete to mend on their own. Once micro-cracks appear, water and oxygen will find their way into the inner parts of the concrete, where the Trichoderma reesei spores are dormant. When water and oxygen reach them, the spores begin to germinate. The germinated spores start to grow and precipitate the calcium carbonate in the concrete. In no time, the precipitation process will mend the cracks by sealing them. After all the cracks are sealed, the fungi will return to their dormant state since no more water and oxygen can enter through the cracks.
- Bacteria (micro-organisms) are decomposers which break down dead plants and animals into simpler substances that are released back into the soil, air and water as nutrients.
- Sugar can heal when applied to an open wound. It absorbs the moisture in the wound and so prevents the growth of bacteria.
- As bacteria decomposes the dead plant matter, respiration occurs and heat is produced
- Decomposers help recycle mineral salts and prevent the piling up of dead matter.
- Animal wastes like cow dung and chicken droppings are broken down by bacteria. Bacteria in the soil break down animal wastes into nutrients that plants can use for growth.
- Fungi are also able to grow and reproduce in dead matter. When they feed on dead matter like a dead/rotting log, they cause it decay by breaking it down into simpler substances like mineral salts, carbon dioxide and water. They make the log softer and easier for some animal populations to make their homes in.
- Non-flowering plants like mosses and ferns grow on the decomposing logs.
- Some bacteria help in the fermentation of milk to produce cheese and yoghurt
- Bacteria found in our digestive system help to digest or break down food
- Athlete’s foot is a skin infection caused by fungi. Hence, it is important to keep our feet dry.
- Hyena and vultures are scavengers, not decomposers. Animals like earthworms, millipedes, dung beetles, termites and woodlice that feed on leaf litter and rotting logs are known as detritivores. Although detritivores and scavengers break up dead plants and animals into smaller pieces, they do not break them down into simpler substances. They speed up the decomposition process.
- Animals that feed on dead animals are not able to break down the dead organisms directly into simpler substances.
- We have scavengers in our blood stream called macrophages. They eat germs and other things that shouldn’t be in our blood.
- Water and carbon dioxide are produced during decomposition due to the respiration of the fast-multiplying decomposers.
- Decomposers prefer Warmth, Oxygen and Water (WOW) for decay.
- Fossilisation can happen if an organism is buried deep enough underground to avoid being discovered by scavengers.
Because they are heavily featured in our primary school Science curriculum, I came up with a concept map to try to link pertinent ideas under the sun.