Reflections about science lessons on Ecology

I feel that the lessons and notes given were useful as i learnt more about the specific terms used for classifying the animals and plants in our environment and how many different factors play an essential part in their survival such as camouflage,temperature and others. I did some research of my own as also found out that animals were also classified into many different phylums as well to differentiate their feeding habits and their characteristics.

Tricks the mirror orchid does for pollination

The mirror orchid found in the Western Mediterranean plays tricks on bees.The flower fools male bees into thinking that it is a female bee.it has the looks and even smells like a female bee.The male bee tries to cuddle the glower, the stamens swoop own and whack a blob of pollen on the head of the male bee. The confused bee flies off in search of another female and usually ends up taking pollen to another mirror orchid.

Some facts about bug eating plants

In swampy areas there are not enough minerals to feed the plants, the soil is especially low in nitrates which plants need to grow so plants eat insects for the nitrates.Some bug eating plants look pretty.The Australian pink petticoat plant looks like a tiny pink petticoat but when a bug crawls inside it will find itself in a trap and is digested alive.The sundew plant which found all over the world from Australia to USA is yellow in colour to attract insects and sticky tentacles with thousands of balls of glue. First a crawling insect sticks in the glue, then tentacles slowly wraps around it (which takes up to 2 days) then digestive juices dissolve the insect alive.

Reflections about science lessons on Light

I feel that the lessons about light were very good and well taught as the 6 cases of reflection were well explained and i could understand clearly what would happen and which case was applied for which scenarios.The experiments were also well conducted and I learnt the importance of accuracy in measurement. Now I also know the reasons for some of the phenomenons caused by refraction such as mirages.

Some facts about liverworts and mosses

These are actually different types of plants but they live a similar lifestyle.Which is basically living a damp shady spot and staying as wet as possible. The adult plant makes lots of tiny spores, they do not develop into adult plants but rather they form small leaf like objects.These tiny plants make special male and female cells that join together which grows into a new adult plant, these is called alternation of generations by botanists.Which is big plants making little plants who in turn makes big plants.

Mosses grew on weevils which are a type of small beetles in New Guinea, apparently the mosses help the weevils to blend in with their background.

In the First World War sphagnum mosses were used as bandages as they could soak up 4 times more blood than cotton.

Some Facts about lichens

Lichens are not just a single plant it is a case of algae and fungi living so closely together that they seem to be a single plant.The fungi sucks up water dissolves rock and gets minerals while the algae photosynthesizes to make food.

Swedish scientist Carl linnaeus (1707-1778) made up the current system of latin names for plants that is still used.

Presently there are more than 25,000 species of Lichens.

Reflections about science lessons on Acids and bases

I feel that the lessons and experiments conducted were very enriching as the experiments reinforced the teachings and formulas given to us on paper.I could have a first handed experience and see for myself the reactions produced and also have some hands on.

Furthermore I could now now more about the properties of chemicals and differences between acids and alkalis and the different solutions they react and do not react with altogether it was very enriching for me.