Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

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CCarille
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Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by CCarille »

Hey All,
I know this is last minute (class is tomorrow and Friday), but just wanted to see if anyone else has some good ones. I teach non-major undergrads, so I'm always looking for something different to talk about/show photos of.

I bring up pitcher plants, sundews, and venus fly traps for odd autotrophs, and macaws (eating clay, suggested to alleviate highly acidic food and for micronutrients), butterflies (congregating around urine for salt), and a sea slug that has "learned" to eat algae so it can gain energy/nutrients from photosynthesis - I have photos of all, except the sea slug. I also talk about some parasites, such as tapeworms (when I bring up the "freshman 15" and diets that people have tried). Lastly, I mention sloths since it has been suggested that the algae may actually provide some nutrients to the host.

This is all on top of actually learning about the processes behind autotrophic and heterotrophic (and chemotrophic) behavior. So my question is, does anyone know of any other oddball auto/heterotrophs? Or have photos I could use in lecture (of course credited)?

Thanks!
Chris
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Nshepard
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by Nshepard »

This isn't really up that ally but it's odd no less. The symbiotic relationship of Spotted Salamanders in the egg and the algae that grows around/in the egg mass.
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kricket
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by kricket »

I was going to say you beat me to it, but you didn't (completely!). It was found recently that spotted salamander larvae themselves are colonized by photosynthetic algae. Here's the link for the paper: http://www.pnas.org/content/108/16/6497.full

There are also jellyfish (Cassiopea sp. and Mastigias sp.) that photosynthesize with zooxanthallae, as well as a bunch of other marine species (other cnidarians, poriferans, clams) that utilize symbionts to photosynthesize. There is a species of aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) that are essentially facultative photoheterotrophs that don't use symbionts. I'm sure there are more that will come to me later, but my brain is fried now. I teach biodiversity (an upper-level bio major course) so have tons of papers lying around around cool stuff that creatures do. Feel free to PM me if you need anything. - Kara
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Stohlgren
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by Stohlgren »

And if you need a photo of that, you can use this one, Chris.
Image
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chrish
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by chrish »

Here's a great one...sort of..although it is probably more suited to an Abnormal Psychology class. :lol:

Breathatarianism - http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Breatharianism
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periglenes
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by periglenes »

Stohlgren, is permission granted to all of us to teach with that great green egg photo?

-Frank
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kricket
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by kricket »

periglenes wrote:Stohlgren, is permission granted to all of us to teach with that great green egg photo?

-Frank
I second that question! I think my students would enjoy that picture too when we get to amphibians later in the semester. And I'm tentatively supposed to teach herpetology lab in the spring, so it would definitely be great for them to see. We always find spotted egg masses in the field, but never get to see such a close-up detail of them.
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CCarille
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by CCarille »

Thanks for the quick replies! I'll definitely add some of those examples for today/tomorrow. I like the idea of bringing up the photosynthetic larvae, since it is something that seems to be lost as development continues and pigment comes in.

Breathetarianism - haha. I love the dolphin and money as the symbol. Maybe they should all inject algae in their skin and then just try to photosynthesize or just hook themselves up to solar panels - bionic future?

Kevin, thanks for letting me use the photo. I'm sure my students will find it interesting and actually something enjoyable in biology - god forbid. Hard to get fashion majors and business majors to see the applicable sides of bio sometimes. Anyways, thanks again for the help.
Matt Buckingham
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by Matt Buckingham »

There are a number of non-photosynthesizing (therefore non-chlorophyll producing) plants that are obligate parasites that might be interesting to mention. Examples include the genera Monotropa and Epifagus. Monotropa uniflora for example is a parasite of the mycorrhizal fungus of tree roots. Epifagus virginiana specializes on American beech. Neither species is detrimental to their hosts.

Some photos:

M. uniflora

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Indian Pipe by Matt Buckingham, on Flickr

E. virginiana

Image
Beech Drops by Matt Buckingham, on Flickr
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CCarille
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by CCarille »

That's great Matt! I actually took photos of M. uniflora recently on a hike not really knowing what it was. I id'd it and left the photos without looking more into what it was. Definitely something I'm going to mention now since they can be found in the area and the students may see them when I take them out in the next week or two.
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Stohlgren
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by Stohlgren »

periglenes wrote:Stohlgren, is permission granted to all of us to teach with that great green egg photo?

-Frank
kricket wrote:I second that question! I think my students would enjoy that picture too when we get to amphibians later in the semester. And I'm tentatively supposed to teach herpetology lab in the spring, so it would definitely be great for them to see. We always find spotted egg masses in the field, but never get to see such a close-up detail of them.
Yes, for educational purposes such as a powerpoint lecture or other similar use. Not for any for-profit purposes or publication without consent (not that you guys are asking that, I just feel the need to state it).

-Kevin
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periglenes
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by periglenes »

Many thanks! I'll put "used with permission" on my powerpoint slide.
herpfriend
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by herpfriend »

Don't corals and algae have a symbiotic relationship?
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kricket
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Re: Suggestions: Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Oddities

Post by kricket »

herpfriend wrote:Don't corals and algae have a symbiotic relationship?
Corals have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, which are often described as being algae and/or plants, but they're not. Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic dinoflagellates, which can live as free-living plankton as well. They have symbiotic relationships with many different groups of species, not just coral. They're pretty cool little beasties.
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