Damsel in Distress!

"Oh, help me, help me, i'm stuck at the top of this horrible tower!"

Sorry Rapunzel, it's eight feet tall.
Welcome back to the SCIENTIFIC WAFFLE!
Like the rainbow?
And the text going downwards on the left side of the screen?
Well, laziness is kind of taking over today so...
We stay like this.
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This is Bob
Bob says "Hi,"
This is Bob when a car goes by
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/  o  . o.\
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Oh Bob
Oh poor bob...
NOW LETS GET TO:
THE SCIENCE
BUMMMM BUM
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DAAA DUM
BA DA DA
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BA DA DA DUMMMMMMM
okay, so now that we're done with cheesy written star wars music, we can start
So basically, in Iceland, the place that is actually green while Greenland is actually icy (lol) there are these cool stone pillars (naturally formed, of course) and they are about eight feet (2.5 meters for all you brits and scots out there) and researchers have found out what made them.

See, in 7138 (lolwut, I meant 1783) there was this long gorge thing in Iceland, and it spewed lava EVERYWHERE. The lava blobs (called lobes) crept across the ground and found a spot to cool. The blobs merged together into a small ring of cooled lava, the base of the tower. Then, heated water shot up from the middle of the ring, while lava poured onto it. The lava formed a tower around the geyser, creating the hollow lava towers of Iceland.

Well, unfortunately, that's all I have for today, so...

SCIENTIFIC WAFFLE OUT

Links:
Science News for Students
Lava Pic
The Pic of the Pillars is on the Website

Algae Aren't Plants?!

Algae Aren't Plants?!

The tiny, widespread organisms that are the staple food of many fish can be deceiving. Most people that aren't in the know don't realize that algae aren't plants. They're actually protists! Algae are plant-like protists, meaning they make their own food with photosynthesis. The difference is that most algae have no stems, leaves, or roots.

There are six different types of algae. I know, it sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. Just follow along and hopefully you'll understand!

Type #1: Green Algae
Green algae is a common sight on the ocean floor. What most people don't realize about green algae is that it gives our planet almost half the oxygen we breathe all by itself! Green algae is harmless, and beneficial to the environment. If we didn't have green algae, we'd have all been dead a long time ago from the lack of oxygen.

Type #2: Red Algae

These red wonders are able to use photosynthesis deep down in the ocean because of its red pigment. It helps it absorb sunlight better so the algae can survive. A form of red algae is seaweed, which makes carrageenan. Carrageenan is a substance used in different products to make them smoother.

Type #3: Brown Algae



Yep, kelp is a kind of algae!
=D

Brown algae. It's boring, nothing to it. I mean, I guess there's kelp, but....

Type #4: Euglenoids

Yep, the easy names are over with! Euglenoids are the flagellates of the algae, and they have special eyespots to sense light. Cool, right?

Type #5: Diatoms

Guess what? Diatoms are also known as golden algae, because they contain silica, the main element of glass, and it makes them golden. Not hard to say, is it?

Type #6: Dinoflagellates

Last and probably the worst, dinoflagellates, or fire algae. These mostrosities create red tide, which kills many fish and animals.

Now for cyanobacteria! Cyanobacteria are algae that may not be algae at all, but really bacteria! They are also known as blue-green algae.


Well, thats all for today, SCIENTIFIC WAFFLE OUT
LAWLLAWLLAWLLAWLLAWLLAWLLAWLLAWLLAWL
CELEBRATION TIME COME ON

Links:
Red Tide Pic
Diatom Pic
Euglena Pic
Kelp Pic
Seaweed Pic
Green Algae Pic
Brainpop on Algae (If you have an account)

Kingdom Protista

Kingdom Protista

I've been doing things on the six kingdoms for a while, but I never really went in depth when talking about protists. So now it's time to start.

There are three kinds of protists.

1. Plant-like protists

2. Animal-like protists

3. Fungi-like protists

 

Today we will be mostly talking about the animal-like protists, which are actually called protozoa, but first lets get through the basics of protists.

• All protists are eukaryotic, just like fungi, animals, and plants.
• Most are microscopic, like bacteria.
• They are their own kingdom.

Now for protozoa. There are three ways protozoa can move:
1. They can move using a flagellum.
2. They can move using pseudopods.
3. They can move using cilia.

Flagella are long, whip-like tails that whip and spin to move the protozoan. Most of the time, protozoa with flagella live in water.

Pseudopods, or "false feet", are used by protozoa such as amoebas.
These "false feet" are basically extensions of the protozoa that the use to pull themselves or pull food towards them. The protozoa change their shape into these "false feet".

Cilia are tiny hairs on the protozoan's body that help it move. These are mainly used in water.

Now for the four protozoan groups. :)
The first three you already know, right? If not, you'll understand why I said that when you look at what they are:

1. Flagellates
2. Amoebas
3. Ciliates

Now the fourth one you won't know (probably).

4. Sporozoans

Sporozoans are parasitic, or they do not help their host and in many cases harm them. Symbiotes are the opposites of these, they help their host.

Random Blog Post Ending
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And da links =) :
Brainpop
Deer Pic
Mushroom Pic
Tree Pic