Five

ARCANA: AN UPCOMING DEBUT NOVELADAPTATION 

Adaptation is the extent to which the structure and physiology of organisms make them live successfully in a particular environment

Adaptation of selected organis

TILAP

1. Tilapia has streamlined body to move easily in water.

2. It possesses paired fins (pelvic and pectoral fins) for steering, balancing and swimming and unpaired fins (tail, dorsal and anal fins) for stability in water

3. Swim bladder for buoyancy in wat

4. Gills for gaseous exchang

BI

1. Woodpeckers have long slender pointed beaks for picking up insects

2. Hawks, falcons, kites have powerful curved beaks for killing pr

3. Duck have serrated edge beak for sieving small food particles

4. Sand pipers have long narrow beaks for probing into the mud and san

TYPES OF ADAPTATI

1. Structural Adaptati

Structural adjustments are changes in a living organism’s structure to better adapt to an environment. Examples were given above

2. Behavioural Adaptati

Behavioural adaptation is the change in an organism’s behaviour in order to better survive in an environment. Examples are hibernation, aestivation, migratory flight etc

3. Physiological Adaptati

Physiological adaptations are a method of the brain that enables an organism to best survive/reproduce in a setting. These changes could be the various methods an organism reacts to the environmental stimuli. This includes shivering, sweating et

EXAMPLES OF ADAPTATION

1. ADAPTATIVE COLOURATI

A. Camouflage: The organism has the same colour as the environment e.g grasshopp

B. Warning colouration: The organisms have attractive colours that serve as a warning to predator's e.g brightly coloured lady bettle and toads

C. Mimicry: The organism resembles another object that the predator doesn't eat for protection e.g stick insect resembling a tw

D. Nest parasitism: Some birds lay their eggs in other bird's nest for protection e.g cuckoo bi

BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATI

1. Movement in cluster (herd) to ward off animals e.g elephan

2. Nuptial flights to form new colonies e.g be

3. Aestivation : A period of inactivity during long periods of drought or heat e.g lung fi

4. Hibernation: A state of sleep-like and greatly reduced metabolic activities during winter and period of food scarcity e.g bear

5. Dormancy : A period of minimal metabolic activity e.g seeds of plants and cysts of protozo

SOCIAL INSEC

BE

Queen bee: A fertule female with larger abdomen than workers. It lays eggs

Worker: A sterile female smaller than drone and queen. It builds cell (a room in the hive), collect pollen gra

Drone: A fertile male with wings. The drone mate with the queen during nuptial flight

TERMIT

1. Soldier: A blind, sterile wingless male that defend the colony

2. Worker: A blind, sterile wingless female, smaller than the rest, that build and repair ant-hill, feed the others and take care of the nymphs

3. Queen: A fertile wingless female which produce eggs

4. King: A wingless male that fertilizes the que

PLANTS ADAPTATIO

1. Hydrophytes: They live in water or water-logged soil

2. Mesophytes: They live on land where water supply is adequate

3. Xerophytes: They live in dry areas where water supply is limited

4. Halophytes: They live in where there's high salt concentration in wate

NUTRITI

Nutrition is the ability of living organisms fo feed. It is seen in two phases: catabolism and anabolism.

Anabolism is the building up of new substances as seen in photosynthesis while Catabolism is the breaking down of complex substances e.g respiration

Nutrition can be divided into tw

1. Plant Nutriti

2. Animal Nutritio

PLANT NUTRITI

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants manufacture their own food from carbon dioxide and water using energy absorbed by the chlorophyll from the sun

Light Sta

In the day, chlorophyll traps the solar energy and split water into H+ and OH- (photolysis)

The hydoxyl ions give up its electron to the chlorophyll and form water and oxygen. Oxygen is then released as a by-product

ATP and NADP are formed

Dark Sta

These energy-rich molecules are used to reduce carbon dioxide to carbohydrates in a series of steps

MINERAL REQUIREMENTS OF PLAN

1. Nitrogen - chlorophyll formation, protein and amino acids synthesis

2. Phosphorus - chlorophyll formation, root development, formation of ADP, A

3. Iron - formation of chlorophy

4. Magnesium - chlorophyll formati

5. Potassium - cells formation, protein and carbohydrates synthes

6. Sulphur - photosynthesis, grow

ANIMAL NUTRITI

They feed on food made by green plants and flesh of animals that consume them

Carbohydrat

Monosaccharides - glucose, fructose and galactose. They are all sweet and soluble in water

Disaccharid

Sucrose (cane sugar) - glucose + fructo

Maltose (malt sugar) - glucose + gluco

Lactose (milk sugar) - glucose + galacto

They are more soluble in water and sweeter than monosaccharides

Polysaccharid

Hundreds of molecules of monosaccharides joined together (condensed) with loss of water molecules

Starc

Cellulo

MODES OF NUTRITI

1. Autotrophic/Holophytic Nutrition 

It is divided into two

A. Photosynthesis: Use of light energy to produce fo

B. Chemosynthesis: Use of chemical energy to produce food

2. Heterotrophic Nutrition: It is divided into fou

A. Holozoic/Animal Nutrition: Ingesting food particles and breaking them down

B. Saprophytic Nutrition: Feeding on the remains of dead organic matter e.g mushro

C. Parasitic Nutrition: Feeding on or in a body of another organism called a host

Endoparasites: in the body of the host e.g tapewo

Ectoparasites: on the body of the host e.g fl

D. Symbiotic Nutrition: Two organisms supplement their nutritional needs e.g fungus and alga (lichen). Alga provides oxygen and carbohydrates and fungus provides water and minerals

Insectivorous plants are plants that derive their nitrogenous materials from insects. They trap them and feed on them

Examples are Sundew, Venus flytr

Parasitic plants grow on another plants and derive their nutritional requirements from them e.g mistletoe

Epiphytes are plants that grow on another plants for support.. ap. . earm. om. r:. od:: ONseh . es. sesesees. es. ONthisonllTP. TS. ge. . . ge. ONnono:.  ONr.. . . NSen. . . ES. in. ESTSa.. shestsONrdig. erON. c.on. on. onONd.. ey. RDe.er.  IAms. 

“What! I’ve told you to never move out in the dark alone,” Sandra blurted in horror surprised at what she just said. 

“What’s the use? If you were there, you’d have also almost been a victim,” Morgan replied. 

“So did you get hurt?” Sandra asked, her voice heavy with concern. 

“No." Morgan fiddled with her car keys. “Someone saved me.”

“Who?” Sandra pressed further getting more interested now. “Who’s this guy?”

“How are you sure it’s a guy?” Morgan asked, dropping the keys on the table and facing Sandra.

Sandra smiled. “Of course, it would. As you said, another girl being there would just make her almost a victim too. You should know that,” She said.

“Wow, fair enough. You used my words against me,” Morgan muttered, loud enough for Sandra to hear. 

Sandra ignored her and leaned forward at Morgan. “So, who is this lucky guy?” She asked again.

“I hate to admit this,” Morgan said, reducing her voice to a whisper. 

Sandra leaned away. “ Be outspoken. This office is soundproof anyway.”

“I know that,” Morgan snarled at her. “Anyway, It’s Rude.”

“Rude? Who’s rude?” Sandra asked, perplexed. 

“The rude waiter...” Morgan said reluctantly.

It took a brief moment for Sandra to realize.

“The hottie? Oh my gosh, how cool did he fight them off?” Sandra asked, childishly. 

“Don’t make it sound like that. I hated and still hate the encounter,” Morgan pointed out but Sandra ignored her. 

“So did you walk together after he rescued you?” Sandra pressed further. Morgan fiddled with her keys again. 

“Now don’t tease me. I said I hated…”

“Wait a moment,” Sandra chipped in. “You did not thank him? Now, what did you do?”

Morgan immediately felt guilty and more guilty when she remembered what she did; how she stamped on my foot and left me in pain. But she dismissed it too quickly.

“Oh my gosh Ms. Morgan, you must always be thankful,” Sandra pointed out. “He deserves not only your appreciation but your apology now. I’m going to tell your Father.”

She stood up but Morgan reached out and caught her. “ Please don’t tell him. Let the matter end here.”

Sandra turned to look at her face and said,” I am not promising that.”

MANY DAYS PASSED. I was getting back to being financially strong and soon I will apply for college again. It was a Friday and I was happy because it means the rest is near. Even God rested so why shouldn’t I?

I was cleaning away spilled coffee on the counter with a rag when I saw the blonde who rushed in that day. She was always here at exactly 7:30 to get coffee and even asked for reservations. She reminded me just of my Dad when he used to be a personal assistant although I don’t know of whom. 

She came gently to the counter this time not rushing like she always did.

“Two coffees?” I asked bringing out the reservations I had made. 

“Well not only that,” She said accepting the coffee before placing an envelope on the table.

“What’s this?” I asked, taking the envelope.

“You’ll see,” She said and walked out.

I saw a little note on the envelope and my eyes widened as I read it.

     From: Putin Global

     To: Todd Thomas.

I sat, opened the envelope, and read its content.

                      Dear Mr. Thomas,

This is a letter directly from Mr. Monsell Edgecombe the CEO of Putin Global. It is however semi-official for I wish to thank you for saving my daughter, Ms. Morgan…

I paused to remember saving someone. Not long I remember how I saved her and received a stamp on my foot as a reward. The thought of it brought back a twinge of pain from my foot. It was not totally healed.Then I continued to read.

  … this deed of which I just found out. 

Come over to my house tomorrow (using the address inside the envelope) for I shall be unavailable today and we shall discuss your reward. I shall be expecting you.

                          Putin Global Inc,

                         Mr. Edgecombe.

  

  It was hard to believe so I checked for the address. It was there along with a pass ticket. I almost went crazy.

…….

MORGAN HATED THE FACT that Sandra told her father how the rude waiter saved her. Of course, she left out the part about how they met. Now Mr. Edgecombe was interrogating her. 

“So you would not have told me if Sandra did not? Why? He saved you, didn’t he?” he asked. 

  A shrug preceded her response,” I found it unnecessary.”

“Did you even thank him?” he asked further.

Morgan hated to remember that part so she ignored it.

When she did not answer, he said, “ Gosh your mom spoilt you.”

“I’m forced to disagree with you on that, Father because I inherited it right from you. You treat the low class like trash, don’t you. Why are you then being like this over him, ” Morgan said knowing fully she was not supposed to. But she continued. “Like the case of Mr. …”

Her father cleared his throat. “Enough of that. And don’t bring that up again. Also, this is a different case because he’s your savior,” he pointed out.

“That is exactly what I told her,” Sandra added and Morgan turned to snarl at her. Sandra answered with a smile.

“Well I’m going to reward him on how I view him and his plans,” Mr. Edgecombe decided. “You may leave.”

“Just don’t overdo things, Father,” Morgan said and stood. “You have never succeeded in doing anything good.”

Sandra pinched her hands and they walked out of the office. Mr. Edgecombe did not react; he just buried his face in his hands.