Anas Zoology

White-Eared Bulbul ( Pycnonotus leucotis ) The White-Eared Bulbul is a member of Pycnonotidae family. Distribution: It is found in south-western Asia from India to the Arabian Peninsula. Identification: It has a brownish-grey body. The tail is relatively long, starting off black and ending in white tips. The head is black, but the area around its cheeks is white. The vent is bright yellow. Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) White-Eared Bulbul Realted Posts: Scarlet Skimmer:  https://anaszoology.blogspot.com/2022/08/scarlet-skimmer-blogpost-2.html

What is DNA Barcoding? It is a technique use to identify animals, plants and microbes. A short section of DNA from a gene is used to identify the species. The short section of DNA which is used is called DNA Barcode. Dr. Paul D.N. Hebert is the founder of DNA barcoding. The gene region which is used for animal groups is Cytochrome- C oxidase I gene abbreviated as CO-1. Procedure: Take the tissue from the specimen to extract the DNA. Isolate the barcode region. Multiply the isolated DNA using PCR. Then it is sequenced The sequence obtained is placed in BOLD database (Barcode of Life Data system). It is a reference library of DNA barcodes which can be used to identify unknown specimens. Advantages: Useful in identifying species where morphological techniques are not enough. Provide evidence in poaching cases.   Related Articles: DNA Fingerprinting:  https://anaszoology.blogspot.com/2022/08/dna-fingerprinting.html Applications of DNA Fingerprinting:  https://anaszoology.blog...

The stratified epithelium tissue consist of two or more layers of cells.  An epithelium tissue consist of cells that form membranes, which cover and line the body surfaces and glands.  The stratified epithelium tissue can be further classified in 4 types: Stratified Squamous Epithelium Stratified Cuboidal Epithelium Stratified Columnar Epithelium Transitional Epithelium 1) Stratified Squamous Epithelium: Description: There are several layers of cells which are cuboidal to columnar in shape. The apical cells are squamous and basal cells are cuboidal or columnar. Location: Forms superficial layer of skin (Keratinized form), lining of mouth, oesophagus, part of epiglottis and also covers the tongue. Function: Protection (against microorganisms and water loss) 2) Stratified Cuboidal Epithelium: Description: Several layer of cells in which the cells are cube shaped in both the apical surface and basal surface. Location: Pancreatic duct, Sweat glands. Function: Protection, absorptio...

What are Liverworts ? They are thought to be the simplest of all the existing groups of land plants. They are found mainly in damp shaded habitats. They come in two forms: flat and ribbon-like. They are traditionally classified with mosses and hornworts in a group of ancient plants known as bryophytes. Liverworts have some unique features that sets them apart from other two. Their rhizoids are single celled. Snakeskin Liverwort ( Conocephalum conicum ) The name C. conicum refers to the cone shaped archegoniophore, which bear sporangia. It is found worldwide on streamside rocks and in other moist places. It is the most common liverwort in northern hemisphere. It is also found in open woodlands. It grows upto 20 cm long. Snakeskin liverwort is ribbon-shaped liverwort. It has a glossy upper surface with minute translucent chambers.

The simple epithelium tissue consist of a single layer of cells. An epithelium tissue consist of cells that form membranes, which cover and line the body surfaces and glands. The simple epithelium tissue can be further classified into 4 types: Simple Squamous Epithelium Simple Cuboidal Epithelium Simple Columnar Epithelium Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium Simple Squamous Epithelium: Description: Single layer of cells with a centrally located nucleus. The cells are flat. Location: Lines the heart, blood vessels, bowman's capsule, air sacs of lungs and inner surface of the eardrum (tympanic membrane). Function: Filtration, diffusion and osmosis. Simple Squamous Epithelium Simple Cuboidal Epithelium: Description: Single layer of cells with a centrally located nucleus. The cells are cube shaped. Location: Surface of ovary, anterior surface of eye lens, lines the kidney tubules, found in the ducts of pancreas. Function: Secretion and absorption. Simple Cuboidal Epithelium Simple Col...

An amino acid contains an amino group (-NH2) as well as a carboxyl group (-COOH). The carboxyl group is acidic (proton donor) and amino group is basic (proton acceptor). Therefore amino acids are amphoteric in nature. (Amphoteric compounds are those compounds which can act both as an acid or a base).  At low pH the carboxyl group accepts a proton and becomes uncharged so the overall charge on the molecule is positive.  At high pH the amino group loses its proton and becomes uncharged so the overall charge on molecule is negative. The pH at which the molecule carries no electrical charge is called the isoelectric point. At this point the amino acids exist as a dipolar ion or Zwitterion. A Zwitterion is a molecule with no electrical charge because it contains equal number of both positively and negatively charged ions.                         Low pH                  ...

Abnauayu is a cryptid (an animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated) Description: It has dark skin. The body is covered with reddish-black hair. The mane has thick hair that lays down the back. Eyes have a reddish tinge. The nose is flat. It has a muscular body with enormous teeth. The fingers are long and thick. Females have breasts. Sighting: A female abnauayu was captured in Georgia. A man named Edgi took her to his farm where she lived till her death. She was named Zana, her grave has not bee found yet.

Amino acids are compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. They serve as monomers of proteins. Amino acids contains an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom and a distinctive side chain, all these are bonded to the same carbon atom, this carbon atom is called as ∝-carbon. The amino acids differ with respect to the side chain attached to their ∝-carbon. General structure of Amino Acid This general structure is common to all amino acids except for one i.e. proline. The side chain attached to the ∝-carbon atom is different for each amino acid. In ∝-amino acids the amino group and the carboxyl group are attached to the same carbon atom. Amino acids can be classified as β Ɣ δ or ε based on the location of carbon atom to which the amino group is attached.

  Scarlet Skimmer ( Crocothemis servilia ) ( Female ) Clicked at Elephanta Caves. Scarlet Skimmer also known as Ruddy Marsh Skimmer is a species of dragonfly which belongs to the family Libellulidae. Distribution: It is native to east and southeast Asia. Identification: It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above and purple laterally. Abdomen with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Female have oblivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is broad in female. It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes and open swamps. Scarlet Skimmer Clicked at Elephanta Caves Previous post of Wildlife Series: Tricolour Pied Flat:  https://anaszoology.blogspot.com/2022/08/trocolour-pied-flat.html

Taxonomical categories/ranks represents the group of organisms sharing common characteristics/features. Example: Insects represents a group of organisms sharing common features like three pair of jointed legs. Taxonomical categories include Kingdom, Phylum (for animals) and Division (for plants), Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. Kingdom is the highest taxonomical category and species is the lowest taxonomical category. To place an organism in a particular taxonomical category one must have a knowledge of the organisms characteristics.  Taxonomical Categories: 1) Kingdom: It is the highest taxonomical category. There are 5 Kingdoms: Animal, Plants, Fungi, Protista and Monera Different organisms are placed in different kingdoms based on their characteristics. Example: a) Organisms that are multicellular, do not possess chlorophyll, cell wall is absent in cell, and are eukaryotic are placed in the Kingdom Animalia. e.g. Human, fishes, frog etc. b) Organisms that are multicellu...

 It is the most accepted model of Plasma Membrane/Cell Membrane. It was proposed by Singer and Nicolson in the year 1972. Phospholipids form bilayer in the centre. their unsaturated fatty acids forms the tail and glycerol forms the head, which prevents the close packing of the molecules. Phospholipids show two types of movements: Transition and Flip-Flop movement. Transition: Molecules change their position in the same layer. Flip-Flop: Molecules interchange between two layers. There are two types of proteins in cell membrane/plasma membrane Extrinsic/Peripheral proteins - Form 30% of the total membrane protein, superficial, easily removed, some are covered by glycolipids/glycoproteins. They provide structural and functional specificity to the membrane. eg. ATPase, spectrin, acetycholinesterase etc. Intrinsic/Integral Proteins - Form 70% of the total membrane proteins, embedded in lipid bilayer, can be extracted by rupturing membrane, held in position by polar and nonpolar side of ...

A) Danielli - Davson Model / Sandwich Model / P-L-P Model: This model of plasma membrane was proposed by Danielli and Davson in the year 1935. According to this the plasma membrane is trilaminar, where lipids bilayer is sandwitched between the two protein layers. Hence it is also called as P-L-P model (P=protein, L=lipid). This model fails to explain functional specificity and active transport through membranes. B) Unit Membrane Model / Robertson Model: This model of plasma membrane was proposed by Robertson in the year 1959. According to Robertson, all membranes have the same basic structure but they have their own distinctive composition. Example: Internal organelles have more proteins than lipids in eukaryotic cells whereas plants and bacteria have more lipids than proteins. This model fails to explain the membranes stability and permeability. Related Articles: 1) Biomembranes https://anaszoology.blogspot.com/2022/08/biomembranes.html

Tricolour Pied Flat ( Coladenia indrani ) Clicked at Nagla Block, Mumbai. The Tricolour Pied Flat is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae.  Distribution: Found in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar. Identification: The upperside of the butterfly is bright golden-yellow forewing with a discal series of four semi-transparent white black-bordered spots, the first small and above the extremity of the cell, the second large quadrate and within the cell, the third elongate and beneath the latter, the fourth exterior to their juncture Underside blackish-brown suffused with golden-yellow, brightest on the hindwing: markings as above but more clearly defined. Importance of Butterflies: Butterflies act as pollinators. When they feed on nectar of the flowers their bodies collect the pollens from these flowers. These pollens are then carried to other plants which helps to produce new seeds. Majority of the plants in nature needs pollinators like butterflies to reproduce. Butterflies helps t...

Biomembrane/Biological Membrane is a semipermeable covering around the cell and organelles, which separated them from the external environment. Biomembrane which covers the cell is called a cell membrane/Plasmalemma, biomembrane which covers the organelle is called subcellular membrane. Composition of Biomembrane Biomembranes are tripartite or trilaminar i.e. made up of three layers Proteins : 59-75% fibrous or globular proteins Lipids : 20-40 % Phospholipid, sterol, glycolipid, sphingolipid Carbohydrates : 1-5% Hexose, hexamine, sialic acid Functions of Biomembranes: Helps to transport the solutes across the membrane. Biomembrane only allow certain types of molecules to enter the cell and organelle, they keep the toxins from entering into the cell. The receptors present on biomembranes helps the cells to communicate.

  An important tool of molecular biology is DNA fingerprinting. It is a way to distinguish individuals as it is unique for every living being (except clones) and cannot be altered by any process. Applications of DNA Fingerprinting: Paternity Test - The DNA fingerprint of child is matched with the prints of parents to determine family relationships. In parental disputes this technique is used to determine the true parents of the child. Criminal identification - DNA fingerprint from blood/hair/semen of suspect is picked up from the scene of crime, prepared and compared with the sample collected from scene. Many cases have been solved by this technique. Study Evolution - It is helpful in finding out genetic relationship between different races of man. Related Articles: DNA Fingerprinting:  https://anaszoology.blogspot.com/2022/08/dna-fingerprinting.html

An important tool of molecular biology is DNA fingerprinting. It is a way to distinguish individuals as it is unique for every living being (except clones) and cannot be altered by any process. All segments of DNA do not code for protein. Some segments have regulatory function, others are Introns (Interviewing sequence/IVS) still others are repetitive DNA sequences/Mini satellite sequences . The most important segment for DNA fingerprinting are short repetitive nucleotide sequences which vary from person to person. These are also called Variable number tendem repeats (VNTR). To prepare a DNA fingerprint a small amount of saliva/blood/hair/semen or any other cell of the body is required. Steps of DNA fingerprinting are as follows: Extract the DNA from the sample. If DNA is not sufficient, amplify it using PCR i.e. make more copies of DNA using PCR. Cut DNA with restriction endonucleases. The cut segments possess DNA of different length in different individuals called restriction length ...

 The organisms whose cells contain a membrane bound nucleus and membrane bound organelles are called a eukaryotes. Structure of Eukaryotic Cell Characteristics of Eukaryotic Cell: Cell size and volume depend on the activities performed by it (5 - 100 μm). Cellulosic cell wall is present only in plant cells. Capsule is absent. Mesosome is absent. Well organized nucleus is present. Mononucleate condition is more common. DNA is linear and is covered by histonic protein (except in mitochondria and plastid). Monocistronic DNA is more common. Three kinds of RNA polymerase are present. One for each - rRNA, mRNA, tRNA. Transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm. Extranuclear chromosome are absent. Ribosome is 80S (60S + 40S). Protein synthesis is inhibited by cyclohexamide. All organelles are present. Cilia and flagella show characteristic 9+2 arrangement of microtubule and are made up of protein tubulin. Microfilaments are present. True sap vacuoles are common in...

A prokaryote is a single celled organism that lacks a true nucleus and other membrane bound organelles. Structure of Prokaryotic Cell Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells:  Cell is small in size (0.1 - 5 micrometers). Cell wall is made up of muramic acid (amino acid derivative of peptidoglycan). In many cells mucopolysaccharide capsule is present. Mesosomes controls cellular respiration and cell division. An organised nucleus is absent. DNA is circular and naked. Usually polycistronic DNA is present. Only one kind of RNA polymerase is present. Transcription and translation both occurs in the cytoplasm. Extracellular chromosomes are present in the form of plasmid or episome. Ribosome id 70S (50S + 30S) Cytoplasm lack cell organelles. If flagella is present, it is made up of single stranded protein called flagellin. Microfilaments - Actin and myosin are absent. Sap vacuoles are absent instead they have gas vacuoles. Endocytosis and exocytosis are absent. They divide by amitosis or si...