- Aspergillus is a group of molds which is found everywhere, especially in the autumn and winter in the Northern hemisphere. Only a few of these molds can cause illness in humans and animals. Most people are naturally immune and do not develop diseases caused by Aspergillus.
- The common brine shrimp (artemia) are closely related to zooplankton such as Daphnia and are often used as live food for aquariums. The artemia life cycle begins by the hatching of dormant cysts which are encased embryos that are metabolically inactive. The cysts can remain dormant for many years as long as they are kept dry. When the cysts are placed in salt water, they are rehydrated and resume their development.
- Citric acid is an organic acid. It is also a carboxylic acid which contains three carboxyl groups (tri-carboxylic acid) and also a hydroxyl group. Where does most of the earth's citric acid come from? Though it does occur naturally in fruits, most citric acid is produced in refineries. This is accomplished by fermenting cane sugar, molasses, and dextrose by use of the fungus Aspergillus niger.
- Desmids are an attractive and unusual group of freshwater algae. They are microscopic flowerless plants without roots, stem, or true leaves. In fact Desmids are complex single cells, some are the largest single cells in the Plant Kingdom. The largest can just be seen with the unaided eye.
- Foraminifera are tiny single-celled organisms that construct shells. They inhabit a wide range of marine environments.After death, their abundance in sediment samples can reach tens of thousands of foraminifera per cubic centimeter. The fossil record of benthic foraminifera is ancient, dating to more than 550 million years. The abundance of their shells in ancient sediments, their wide distribution and their sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions make them valuable indicators of past climate change.
- The wings of most moths are covered with scales. These scales detatch from the wings very easily. This may be an adaptation for escaping spider webs. If a moth flies into a web, the scales may stick but the moth will escape.
- Radiolaria are a group of unicellular organisms perhaps more commonly seen as prepared slides, rather than in life. As living creatures they can be encountered in the great oceans but more commonly in the Central Pacific. They were discovered in strange and beautiful forms by the research ship Challenger as a huge deposit of ooze on the ocean bed. They are largely nonmotile organisms, and their general morphology clearly reflects an adaptation for a floating existence.
