"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Biology
Plankton
10/21/26
“How do we classify tiny water organisms that drift instead of swim?”
We hear about plankton when discussing water environments. But what exactly are they? Well, Plankton are small organisms that drift with water currents instead of swimming against them. There are plankton in all of the major biological kingdoms, ranging in size from microscopic bacteria to massive jellyfish. Plankton are a vital part of the Earth’s water ecosystem.
Phytoplankton
10/19/26
“What forms the base of ocean ecosystems?”
Creatures at the base of a food chain use primary production and photosynthesis to create new biomass. Phytoplankton, or plankton that use photosynthesis, are one of these creatures. Phytoplankton are responsible for around half of all oxygen production and photosynthetic activity despite composing only 1 percent of all biomass. Phytoplankton typically congregate in the photic zone since they require sunlight. Phytoplankton also require inorganic nutrients to survive, which is why they’re not commonly found in oceanic deserts.
Biological Nutrients
10/03/26
“What are biological nutrients, and why are they so important for organic life?”
Organic life is the foundation of our ecological world. Organic life requires the Biological Nutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and silicon (Si) to function. Microorganisms in water/wastewater treatment systems need the incoming water/wastewater to have a certain amount of biological nutrients to grow properly.
Connective Tissue
09/23/26
“What holds your body together?”
Your body is a complex vessel composed of a myriad of interrelated systems. But what exactly holds everything together? Well, this is the role of Connective Tissue. Connective tissue attaches, cushions, flexes, protects, separates, supports, and supplies all systems in your body. Examples of connective tissue range from bones to blood to cartilage.
Nervous Tissue
09/22/26
“How do neuron cells form a complex communication network?”
Neuron cells are the gears that run our nervous system. But how do they coalesce into a greater communication system? Well, it turns out they and their glial cell protetcors make up a Nervous Tissue system that detects changes, funnel them to the appropriate place, processes it, and produces an appropriate reaction. To illustrate, if you touch a cold glass of water, your sensory neuron nervous tissue will alert you of the icy feel.
Muscle Tissues
09/20/26
“What makes muscles function?”
Complex animal bodies use movement to get around. Muscle Tissues are specialized groups of cells that can contract and relax to generate movement. Muscle tissues can be voluntary (controlled at will, such as a human moving their thumb) to involunray (heart pumping).
Tissues (Biology)
09/19/26
“How can biological cells come together to perform a specific function?”
Biological cells are the building blocks of life. However, they cannot do much by themselves. But what if they were to work together to perform a specific function? Well, these come in the form of Tissues. Tissues are one of the core parts of body functioning and serve as an intermediary between cells and organs.
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Net Primary Productivity
07/13/26
“How do we quantify the rate of new biomass by photosynthesizers after accounting for keeping themselves alive?”
Primary productivity measures the rate of new biomass growth by photosynthesizers. However, these organisms will need to use some of the energy they receive from the sun to keep themselves alive. Consequently, these organisms will only have the Net Primary Productivity, or biomass growth rate, accounting for the energy used to keep themselves alive. Photosynthesizing organisms use the former to grow themselves, and the latter to sustain themselves.
Trophic Levels
07/12/26
“How can we define an organism’s food chain position based on its energy level?”
Organisms at the bottom of food chains use primary production to gain biomass, while those higher up use secondary production. The higher up the food chain you go, the lower the energy potential there is. Ecologists have termed the food chain level an organism is at by their potential energy as their Trophic Levels.
