Invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals that do not have a hard backbone (vertebrae). They
include a wide variety of animals, such as corals, worms, insects and molluscs.
This section will give you a very brief glimpse at this diversity, starting with
jellyfish.
A)
Web site name: BBC News
Web URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7658945.stm
Read “Glowing jellyfish grabs Nobel”
1)
Which Nobel prize did these scientists win?
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2)
List three uses for these glowing markers.
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3)
What does GFP stand for?
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4)
What is the scientific name of the jellyfish that was used in this study?
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5)
Which scientist worked out how to produce more colors, apart from green?
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6)
Explain how GFP is used in genetic engineering:
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7)
How many colors are found in the “brainbow”? ____________________
8)
What are the five other Nobel prizes? _______________________________
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B)
Web site name: Science Daily
Web URL: http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2007/03/256a.html
Read “Sea Urchins reveal medical mysteries”
12)
What evidence shows that we share a common ancestor with sea urchins?
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13)
Where does Christina Calestani work?
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14)
What are two advantages of using sea urchins for research, instead of other
animals such as fruit flies or worms?
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Click on “Click here to go Inside this science”
15). What is unusual about the immune system of sea urchins?
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C)
Web site name: BBC news
Web site URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4226917.stm
Read the article about carbon dioxide emissions and coral.
16). Why is coral important to come countries? ___________________________
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17). What do scientists predict the pH of the oceans could drop to? __________
18). Apart from coral, what are three other species that extract calcium to build
their shells or skeletons? _________________________________________
19). What industry could a drop in the numbers of coccolithophorids have
consequences for? ____________________________
Use the “Search” feature of the internet to find information on any other
invertebrate ( such as sponges, worms, snails, echinoderms etc).
D)
20). What web site did you find?
http://______________________________
21). Did the web site have interesting photos or graphics? __________________
If so, which ones? ______________________________________________
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22). Summarize the information on this website: _________________________
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E)
Web site name: Science Daily
Web site URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111203501.htm
Read “Fiddler Crabs reveal honesty is not always the best policy”
23)
How do male fiddler crabs “lie”? __________________________________
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24)
Why are these crabs “ideal” for studying dishonesty?
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25)
Which elements of fighting ability did the scientists measure?
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26)
When does the crabs “bluff’ not work?
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27)
Why do scientists think that honest signaling has evolved?
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28)
Why are they called fiddler crabs? _________________________________
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F)
Web site name: New York Times
Web URL:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/science/earth/03jellyfish.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=jellyfish&st=cse
Read “Stinging tentacles offer hint of ocean decline”.
29)
In which country do blue flags warn swimmers of jellyfish? ____________
30)
What problem do jellyfish cause to fishermen?
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31)
What factors have caused the explosion of jellyfish?
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32)
Why are jellyfish referred to as the “cockroaches” of the ocean?
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33)
List five parts of the world that are “problem areas”.
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34)
What is the scientific name of the jellyfish that formed a swarm a mile long?
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35)
How long do wounds last after a jellyfish sting?
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36)
Why are jellyfish moving closer to beaches?
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37)
Why do low oxygen levels favor jellyfish? __________________________
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