In: Biology
1. In a metapopulation, source populations are likely to have more individuals dispersing to other habitat patches. This means that the source population:
2. Studies show that lean individuals and obese individuals differ in the bacterial species composition in their guts. It was hypothesized that biotic and abiotic factors may interact in the human gut. Specifically, particular gut flora may alter fat metabolism and therefore body composition and weight. Which observation would best support this hypothesis?
3. The posterior end of the hawk moth caterpillar has evolved to look like the head of a venomous snake. This represents an example of what type of mimicry?
4. What is the correct description of the transformations of nitrogen in a wetland ecosystem?
5. Consider a carbon atom as it moves through the carbon cycle. What would be a correct description of its transformations?
Solution:
1) Metapopulation can be defined as series of small, separate populations in separate habitat patched that are mutually affecting each other. In metapopulations, if individuals in one population go extinct due to different reasons, the individuals may be supplied to the patch where extinction took place by other small nearby patches and thus helps protect patch by sudden recolonization.
In a metapopulations source populations are likely to have more individuals dispersing to other habitat patches. Because, metapopulations are viewed as those populations persisting in nature under the balance of local extiction and colonization. Different types of metapopulations are seen in this earth. In one type called as mainland island metapopulation, the persistence depends on the number of extinction resistant populations inhabiting the main lands. These main lands act as source for individuals to go and colonize the other patch where local extinction took place. In another type called as patchy populations, the individuals from source helps protect the patches which are on the brim of extiction. This type exhibits pre-extinction colonization tactics. In all cases it is th source that are providing individuals.
2) The human gut microbiotic environment consists of up to 100 trillion microbes. Humans are the host to a wide variety of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, virus and protozoan. Different study results suggsts that the intestinal microbiome has been intrinsically linked with obesity. Gut microbes possess a chief role in energy extraction from food through a variety of mechanisms. Analysis of gut microbiota reveals a direct relationship between gut microbes and obesity. Studies on germ free mice suggests initial link between obesity and gut microbes. The comparitive study results showed that mice having gut microbiota are obese than mice without gut microbes with huge statistical significance. Recolonizing this germ-free mice with microbes induces obesity on this particular group. One of the main differences observed between obese and lean groups are the differences in the level of short chain fatty acids. The obese group have increased levels of short chain fatty acids than lean group. Also variations of microbes occurs between these low fat consuming lean group and high fat consuming obese group. Incrased relative abundance of large bacterial groups called as Firmicutes in obese type are absent with lean group.
3) This represnts Batesin mimicry in which the palatable species mimics an unpalatable species as an escape mechanism from predation.
4) The nitrogen interconverts between different N species and their transfers among various compatments are a regular phenomenon in wetlands and marshes. The anthropogenic activity is the chief regulating factor that affects the structure and function of wetlands. The anthropogenic activities increases the level of many N species. The turnover of nitrogen in wetlands and marshes are heavily regualated. Salt marshes can function as sinks or as sources of nitrogen depending on their morphology and vegetation. Major conversion pathways include ammonia volatilization, ammonification, nitrification, denitrification, anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation), dissimilatory reduction etc.
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