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Colura Zoophaga
''Colura zoophaga'' is a species of epiphytic liverwort that is endemic to the African highlands, specifically parts of Kenya. It belongs to the genus ''Colura'', which has been hypothesized to be carnivorous as early as 1893. It is a recently described species that was the subject of the first scientific study aimed at investigating the allegations of carnivory in liverworts.Barthlott, W., Porembski, S., Seine, R., and Theisen, I. (2007). ''The Curious World of Carnivorous Plants: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Biology and Cultivation''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 180-181.Barthlott, W., Fischer, E., Frahm, J.-P., and Seine, R. (2000)First experimental evidence for zoophagy in the hepatic ''Colura'' ''Plant Biology (Stuttgart)'', 2: 93-97. Description ''Colura zoophaga'' is a small epiphytic liverwort that measures no more than several millimetres in size and grows on the trunk and branches of '' Cliffortia nitida''. It possesses elongated water sacs formed by the fusio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phorophytes. Epiphytes take part in nutrient cycles and add to both the diversity and biomass of the ecosystem in which they occur, like any other organism. They are an important source of food for many species. Typically, the older parts of a plant will have more epiphytes growing on them. Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they grow on other plants for physical support and do not necessarily affect the host negatively. An organism that grows on another organism that is not a plant may be called an epibiont. Epiphytes are usually found in the temperate zone (e.g., many mosses, liverworts, lichens, and algae) or in the tropics (e.g., many ferns, cacti, orchids, and bromeliads). Epiphyte species make good houseplants due to their minimal wat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karl Von Goebel
Karl Immanuel Eberhard Ritter von Goebel FRS FRSE (8 March 1855, Billigheim, Baden – 9 October 1932, Munich) was a German botanist. His main fields of study were comparative functional anatomy, morphology, and the developmental physiology of plants under the influence of both phylogenetic and extrinsic factors. Life Starting in 1873, Goebel studied theology and philosophy, as well as botany with Wilhelm Hofmeister, at the University of Tuebingen. In 1876 he moved to Strasbourg, where he worked with Anton de Bary, and from which he graduated in 1877 with his Ph.D. In 1878, Goebel became assistant to Julius von Sachs, and in 1880 a lecturer at the University of Würzburg. In 1881 he became first assistant to August Schenk of the University of Leipzig, then an associate professor at Strasbourg, and 1882 associate professor at the University of Rostock, where in 1884 he founded the botanical garden and a botanical institute. From 1887–1891 he was a professor at Marburg, and from 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Carnivorous Plants (1989 Book)
''The Carnivorous Plants'' is a major work on carnivorous plants by Barrie E. Juniper, Richard J. Robins, and Daniel M. Joel. It was published in 1989 by Academic Press.Juniper, B.E., R.J. Robins & D.M. Joel 1989. ''The Carnivorous Plants''. Academic Press, London. Much of the book was written by the three authors over an eight-year period at Oxford University's Botany School (later the Department of Plant Sciences). Content Although sharing its title with Francis Ernest Lloyd's classic 1942 work, this treatment focuses primarily on physiology and biochemistry, reflecting the authors' areas of expertise. It also deviates from Lloyd's work in that content is organised by biological mechanism rather than by genus. The book has two appendices: the first is a summary of letters sent by Rebecca Merritt Austin to William Marriott Canby regarding her field observations of '' Darlingtonia'' in the 1870s; the second concerns Matthew Jebb's observations of ''Nepenthes'' in Papua New G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commensal
Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit from each other; amensalism, where one is harmed while the other is unaffected; parasitism, where one is harmed and the other benefits, and parasitoidism, which is similar to parasitism but the parasitoid has a free-living state and instead of just harming its host, it eventually ends up killing it. The commensal (the species that benefits from the association) may obtain nutrients, shelter, support, or locomotion from the host species, which is substantially unaffected. The commensal relation is often between a larger host and a smaller commensal; the host organism is unmodified, whereas the commensal species may show great structural adaptation consistent with its habits, as in the remoras that ride attached to sharks and other fishes. Remo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heliamphora
The genus ''Heliamphora'' ( or ; Greek: ''helos'' "marsh" and ''amphoreus'' " amphora") contains 23 species of pitcher plants endemic to South America.McPherson, S., A. Wistuba, A. Fleischmann & J. Nerz 2011. '' Sarraceniaceae of South America''. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. The species are collectively known as sun pitchers, based on the mistaken notion that the ''heli'' of ''Heliamphora'' is from the Greek ''helios'', meaning "sun". In fact, the name derives from ''helos'', meaning marsh, so a more accurate translation of their scientific name would be marsh pitcher plants. Species in the genus ''Heliamphora'' are carnivorous plants that consist of a modified leaf form that is fused into a tubular shape. They have evolved mechanisms to attract, trap, and kill insects; and control the amount of water in the pitcher. At least one species ('' H. tatei'') produces its own proteolytic enzymes that allows it to digest its prey without the help of symbiotic bacteria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protease
A protease (also called a peptidase, proteinase, or proteolytic enzyme) is an enzyme that catalyzes (increases reaction rate or "speeds up") proteolysis, breaking down proteins into smaller polypeptides or single amino acids, and spurring the formation of new protein products. They do this by cleaving the peptide bonds within proteins by hydrolysis, a reaction where water breaks bonds. Proteases are involved in many biological functions, including digestion of ingested proteins, protein catabolism (breakdown of old proteins), and cell signaling. In the absence of functional accelerants, proteolysis would be very slow, taking hundreds of years. Proteases can be found in all forms of life and viruses. They have independently evolved multiple times, and different classes of protease can perform the same reaction by completely different catalytic mechanisms. Hierarchy of proteases Based on catalytic residue Proteases can be classified into seven broad groups: * Serine protease ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blepharisma Americana
''Blepharisma'' is a genus of unicellular ciliate protists found in fresh and salt water. The group includes about 40 accepted species, and many sub-varieties and strains. While species vary considerably in size and shape, most are easily identified by their red or pinkish color, which is caused by granules of the pigment blepharismin. All members of the genus possess a long series of membranelles on the left side of the oral groove, and an "undulating membrane" (a structure resembling a flap, scarf or small sail, composed of long cilia fused together as a single sheet) on the right side of the peristome, toward the posterior. Certain species of ''Blepharisma'' have served as model organisms for scientific research. Since some varieties are easily cultured and readily available from scientific supply houses, they are a common object of study in school science classes. Appearance ''Blepharisma'' may be as small as 50 micrometres in length, or as large as 1 mm (though nor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacteria inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust. Bacteria are vital in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients such as the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere. The nutrient cycle includes the decomposition of dead bodies; bacteria are responsible for the putrefaction stage in this process. In the biological communities surrounding hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, extremophile bacteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane, to energy. Bacteria also live in symbiotic and parasitic relationsh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ciliate
The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagellum, eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a different wikt:undulating, undulating pattern than flagella. Cilia occur in all members of the group (although the peculiar Suctoria only have them for part of their biological life cycle, life cycle) and are variously used in swimming, crawling, attachment, feeding, and sensation. Ciliates are an important group of protists, common almost anywhere there is water—in lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, and soils. About 4,500 unique free-living species have been described, and the potential number of extant species is estimated at 27,000–40,000. Included in this number are many Ectosymbiosis, ectosymbiotic and endosymbiotic species, as well as some Obligate parasite, obligate and Facultative parasite, opportunistic parasites. Ciliate species r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wilhelm Barthlott
Wilhelm Barthlott (born 1946 in Forst, Germany) is a German botanist and biomimetic materials scientist. His official botanical author citation is Barthlott. Barthlott's areas of specialization are biodiversity (Global distribution, assessment, and change in biodiversity) and Bionics/Biomimetics (in particular, superhydrophobic biological surfaces and their technical applications). He is one of the pioneers in the field of biological and technical interfaces. Based on his systematic research on plant surfaces, he developed self-cleaning (lotus effect) technical surfaces and technical surfaces, which permanently retain air under water (Salvinia effect). This led to a paradigm shift in particular areas of material science and facilitated the development of superhydrophobic biomimetic surfaces. His map of the global biodiversity distribution is the foundation for numerous research topics. Barthlott has been honored with many awards (e. g. the German Environment Award) and membership ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anton Kerner Von Marilaun
Anton Kerner Ritter von Marilaun, or Anton Joseph Kerner, (12 November 1831 – 21 June 1898) was an Austrian botanist and professor at the University of Vienna. Career Kerner was born in Mautern, Lower Austria, and studied medicine in Vienna followed by an education in natural history, for which he carried out phytosociologic studies in Central Europe. In 1858 Kerner was appointed professor of botany at the Polytechnic Institute at Buda, and then in 1860 was appointed professor of natural history at the University of Innsbruck. He resigned the latter position in 1878 to become professor of systematic botany at the University of Vienna, and also curator of the botanical garden there. Kerner was particularly active in the fields of phytogeography and phytosociology. He died in 1898 in Vienna at the age of 67. He said "… and years pass by until a second generation f plantscan develop stronger and richer on the prepared soil; but restless works the plant kingdom and construct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bromeliad
The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ''Pitcairnia feliciana''. It is among the basal families within the Poales and is the only family within the order that has septal nectaries and inferior ovaries.Judd, Walter S. Plant systematics a phylogenetic approach. 3rd ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2007. These inferior ovaries characterize the Bromelioideae, a subfamily of the Bromeliaceae. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss (''Tillandsia usneoides''), and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (''Ananas comosus''). Many bromeliads are able to store water in a structure formed by their tightly overlapping leaf bases. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphyte ''Tillandsia'' species that gath ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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