Transcript Notes - Unit 2

HUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMES
Unit 2-5a
Understanding
Aquatic Biomes
Characteristics Of Aquatic Biomes
Aquatic biomes are characterized by…
Salinity – Freshwater, marine & estuary areas are
identified by the amount of dissolved salts
Water Depth & Flow – From
shallow creeks to fast-moving
rivers to deep ocean trenches
Available Sunlight – Reaches
depths of 50-100 ft
• Littoral Zone – Shallow areas
with high sunlight, nutrients
and biodiversity
• Benthic Zone – Deep areas without sunlight
Freshwater Biomes
Freshwater biomes:
Lakes & Ponds – Still bodies of water that can be over
1,000 feet deep
Rivers & Streams – Water
flowing from snowy mountains;
Usually faster & more shallow
Wetlands – Inland areas saturated
with water most of the year
• Swamp – Mostly trees & shrubs
• Marsh – Mostly tall grasses
Which of these biomes are not common in New Jersey?
Saltwater Biomes
Marine (saltwater) biomes:
Oceans – Five of them cover over 70% of our planet
Coral Reef – Limestone ridges
built by coral polyps; High
energy, nutrients & biodiversity
Coastal – Some species anchor
to rocky shores while others
bury in the sand to resist tides
How often do tides occur?
The moon causes high and low tides twice per day!
Saltyish Biomes
Brackish Waters – A mix of ocean and fresh water
Estuary – Rivers flow to an
ocean creating nutrient-rich,
easily accessible areas
Mangrove Swamp – Trees and
plants thrive in brackish water
These regions are often the
most polluted due to runoff.
Where does litter in front of Edison HS go next?
From the storm drain, where does litter go?
And eventually, this waste will pollute our beaches!
Our Local Estuaries
Portions of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay have become
“Dead Zones”, regions without
enough oxygen to support life.
After about 50 years and
more than $100 million spent
there has been almost no
improvement or recovery!
While parts of the New York
Harbor are still contaminated,
greatly reducing any wildlife,
there has been improvement
over the past few decades.
Chesapeake
islands Bay
can
Which three
be seen in this image?
Significance Of Aquatic Biomes
Our aquatic biomes provide…
• Fresh water & food
• Areas for recreation
• Habitats for species
• Purifies wastewater
• Transportation of goods
• Protects from floods & erosion
• Creates clean electricity
How does human development threaten wetlands?
Let’s Review…
What have you learned in this unit?
1. Which factors are used to
identify aquatic biomes?
2. Describe the differences of
water from lakes, rivers, oceans
and estuaries.
3. How do species survive the
tidal conditions of a coastline?
4. Why is biodiversity higher near
coastlines than in the deep sea?
5. Name five important functions
provided by freshwater & marine wetlands.
HUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMES
Unit 2-5b
Understanding Our
Nervous System
The Nervous System
Nervous System - Transmits information concerning our
senses, motion, and metabolism
Divided into two branches…
• Central Nervous System –
The brain & spinal cord;
The primary processing
center of our body
• Peripheral Nervous System Sensory & motor nerves found
throughout the body
What do you already know about the nerves in a person?
Understanding Our Mind
Cerebrum – Largest part of the human brain;
Responsible for learning, memory & intelligence
Of the four lobes, the frontal
lobe is most often linked to
intelligence.
Lower Brain – Includes the
cerebellum, thalamus, and
medulla oblongata
It is linked to many simple
functions, including heart rate
breathing, senses, emotions & behavior
Can anyone tell me why alligators are so ornery?
Are You Smarter Than A…
How do we measure intelligence?
Ability to Learn – Use a complex social system to teach
& protect their young
Solve Problems – Reasoning and
the ability to create & use tools
Communicate – Use languages
to signal & even create names
Plan for the Future – Create
strategies for foraging & hunting
Awareness of Self – Ability to
recognize one’s self in a mirror
What is the difference between intelligence & wisdom?
How Messages Travel
While our body depends greatly upon chemical signals,
electrical signals of the nervous system are much faster!
Neurons – Cells of the nervous system that communicate
by transmitting electrical impulses
Information received by the dendrite
travels down the axon to the synapse
where an neurotransmitter relays the
message to another dendrite.
We are born with over 100 billion
neurons in our brain & spinal cord
that cannot regenerate or multiply!
Why are brain & spinal injuries considered so serious?
What Makes Us Move?
Motor Neurons - Cells that convert electrical signals into
voluntary or involuntary muscle movement
Messages are typically sent from
the brain to the body at nearly
the speed of light but sometimes
that’s not fast enough!
Spinal Reflex – A self-protecting
motor response that typically
originates from the spinal cord,
not the brain; Ex: knee-jerk reflex
Where are involuntary muscle groups found in your body?
Let’s Review…
What have you learned in this unit?
1. Describe the two divisions
of our nervous system.
2. What are the differences
between the cerebrum
and the lower brain?
3. Name five of the ways
used to describe intelligence.
4. What are neurons and how
do they work?
5. Compare and contrast a
knee-jerk reaction with breathing while you’re asleep.
HUMANITY & THE WORLD BIOMES
Unit 2-5c
How We Interpret
The World
This Homunculus Man
represents the relative
density of sensory
neurons throughout
the human body
Types of Senses
Sensory Neurons – Specialized neurons that convert
stimuli into electrical signals; These include…
Receptor
Stimuli
Locations
Thermoreceptor
Temperature
change
Skin &
hypothalamus
Pain receptors
Tissue damage
Everywhere except
the brain
Photoreceptors
Light
Eyes
Chemoreceptors
Chemical
Tongue & nose
Mechanoreceptors
Movement &
pressure
Skin, ears &
muscles
Is it true that humans have only five senses?
How We See The World
Our sense organs include…
Eyes – Use rods & cones to send
images along the optic nerve
Ears – Tiny bones (the anvil, stirrup
hammer & eardrum) sense vibrations;
Semicircular canals help us balance
Nose & Tongue – Taste buds and
olfactory receptors in the nose
detect chemicals
Skin – Touch includes temperature, pressure & pain
Information sent from these organs goes to the thalamus
and is then relayed to different lobes of the cerebrum.
Animal Senses
Some animals have much stronger senses than us.
Dogs can smell different forms of cancer in people,
while an eagle can see a Rubik's cube from a mile away!
Other animal senses include…
Echolocation – Sounds help
bats and dolphins “hear” a
picture of their surroundings
Infrared Vision - Detects heat
Magnetic Sense - Some birds,
bees & fish can align their bodies
with the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation
Threats To Our Nervous System
Methyl mercury – A toxic compound that is absorbed by
fat cells in organisms causing severe neurological damage
Because methyl mercury is not
soluble in water it cannot be
flushed out of the body or
easily removed from ecosystems
Biomagnification - A build-up
in the concentration of toxins
moving up the food chain
50 ppm
9.6 ppm
1.20 ppm
0.24 ppm
0.06 ppm
Bioaccumulation – The build-up of
toxins within an organism from eating contaminated food
Due to mercury, the FDA states people shouldn’t eat
shark or kingfish and only 2 servings of tuna per week.
Threats To Our Nervous System
The myelin sheath that covers the axon of a neuron
can be irreversibly damaged by…
Multiple Sclerosis – An incurable
disease causing the body to attack
its own neurons
THC – An ingredient in marijuana
that can damage neurons affecting…
* Coordination
* Response time
* Short-term memory
Marijuana contains many harmful chemicals yet evidence
supports the medical benefits for some of its components.
Let’s Review…
What have you learned in this unit?
1. Describe the five types of
sensory neurons in your body.
2. Explain how we are able
to have vision, hearing, smell,
taste and touch.
3. Which other senses do we
have and which senses are
we lacking?
4. What is methyl mercury and
why does is it more problematic in top predators?
5. Explain how myelin is damaged & why it’s dangerous.