AP Biology Scavenger Hunt # 8 (The LAST!) :D

Asexual reproduction: (sponge) the generation of offspring from a single parent that occurs without the fusion of gametes (by budding, division of a single cell, or division of the entire organism into two or more parts). In most cases, the offspring are genetically identical to the parent. Obviously this sponge is not a natural sea sponge but is meant to represent one. Certain sea sponges are able to reproduce asexually by budding, meaning that the sponges can drop off "limbs", which grow into new sponges identical to the original sponge.

Parasitism: (tick) a symbiotic relationship in which one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of another, the host, by living either within or on the host. The tick is a classic parasite, which will attach to any warm blooded organism and drink blood in order gain nutrients from the host. This tick I actually found on myself (which was quite scary!) behind my knee, after hiking in the woods around town. 

Modified stem of a plant: (thorn bush) A thorn bush is adapted to it's environment, with modified stems containing sharp thorns to discourage birds and other possibly harmful creatures from perching on its branches and damaging leaves or other parts of the plants foliage.

Niche: (giant wild mushroom) the position or function of an organism in a community of plants and animals. Mushrooms have the niche of decomposer in the ecological community, breaking down dead biological organisms and recycling important chemical resources. Certain mushrooms act as food for some organisms and some mushrooms act in symbiotic relationships with other plants.

Xylem: (tree trunk) vascular plant tissue consisting mainly of tubular dead cells that conduct most of the water and minerals upward from the roots to the rest of the plant. The xylem shown in this picture is surrounding the dark heart wood in the center of the tree, keeping the center of the tree alive.