Tutor profile: Jana M.

What is a biome, and what makes 1 biome different from another?

A biome is defined as a TERRESTRIAL (on land) area on earth. It is all the terrestrial space on earth with a very similar CLIMATE, which leads to similar SOIL profiles, and similar COMMUNITIES or FOOD WEBS of living organisms. The climate (long term temperature and precipitation patterns) truly defines a biome, it sets one region apart from another. All of the tropical rainforests on earth make up one of earth's biomes. They are distinct in that they have complex food webs, poor soils that are heavily leached and need constant growth to maintain fertility, and consistently wet and warm climates. All of the boreal forests or taiga make up another major terrestrial biome, they are distinct in that they are colder, but with seasonal summer and winter temperatures and receive much less rain than the tropical rainforest, but enough rain to support a coniferous/needled/boreal forest (a forest of trees requires more water than a grassland). Their food webs are less complicated/diverse and based on the boreal trees as major producers, and their soils are acidic due to the pine needles that replenish nutrients to the top layer. 9 Major biomes of the earth include (listed from equator to pole, as latitude has a major impact on climate patterns the typical latitude for each is noted in *N or *S): 0* Tropical rainforest 0*-30* Savannah 30* Desert 40* Chaparral/Mediterranean (coastal) 30-60* Temperate biomes: (from coastal to inland --- Temperate Rainforest ; Temperate Deciduous forest ; Temperate Grassland) 60* Taiga/Boreal forest 60-90* Tundra

What are the characteristics of life?

All living things typically have all 8 of the following characteristics: 1. have DNA (within an nucleus or not, but either way they have some and it contains instructions for making the proteins that do all the work in the cell) 2. can reproduce (asexual or sexual) 3. evolve (populations evolve over time) 4. respond to their environment (sunflower turns to face the sun, rabbit runs from predator) 5. exchange matter and energy with environment (metabolism, respiration) 6. are made of cells (or at least 1 cell) 7. grow (get bigger) and develop (ex. puberty, metamorphosis) 8. maintain homeostasis (internal balance - not too much or too little... ex. water, oxygen) Typically viruses have been considered NON living because they cannot reproduce "on their own" meaning with just themselves or other viruses, they need to use cells from ANOTHER SPECIES to reproduce.

How are tendons and ligaments similar, how are they different?

Tendons and ligaments are both connective tissue. They are both dense, fibrous, regular tissue - a collection of tightly packed collagenous fibers. The major difference is has to do with WHAT they are CONNECTING.... - TENDONS usually connect BONES to MUSCLES and help the muscles move and... - LIGAMENTS attach BONES to BONES and help the skeleton stay articulated (connected) and stable.