Black bear Jack Meier 92513 1 A Black

Black bear Jack Meier 9/25/13 1 A

Black bears, biotic or not? This Power. Point will prove without a doubt that black bears are biotic. To prove this statement, I will hit on eight points that classify a living organism.

Biotic or not Cont. These points are as follows: Grows and Develops Responds to the environment Metabolism Reproduces Evolves Genetic Code Cells Homeostasis Every living organism exhibits these traits, and I will prove that black bears are no different.

#1: Grows and Develops Black bears go through multiple stages of development. They go from cub, to adolescent, to adult. The mother nurses the cubs until they are about a year and a half old, then they are on their own.

#2: Responds to the Environment Black bears go into hibernation when winter arrives. They also have highly defined sense of smell, and are very shy towards humans. They are hypersensitive to anything going near their cubs, and will attack anything that gets too close.

#3: Genetic Code A Black bear has 76 chromosomes. Each of those chromosomes serves a purpose to make the black bear what it is. If one was missing, the black bear might not have fur, or the urge to hibernate.

#4: Cells A black bear has cells that determine its appearance and how its body works. These cells are found in the nucleus. If it had no hair cells, it would freeze because of the cold. Likewise, without blood cells, the black bear would not be able to warm itself.

#5: Homeostasis Black bears are an excellent example of homeostasis. They go into hibernation at the onset of winter. They do this to regulate their bodies and keep themselves from being bogged down and frozen in the heavy snows.

#6: Reproduce Black bears reproduce, just like any other animal. They are sexually reproducing animals, and they have a mating season. They give birth to live cubs, and a typical litter of cubs is 1 -3. The cubs are born blind. The average lifespan of a typical black bear is twenty five to thirty years.

#7: Metabolism Black bears are voracious eaters, cubs included, and are mostly vegetarian. They eat ants, grubs, plants, and they will hunt small mammals if the opportunity presents itself. If a black bear finds food in a particular area, it will remember that place as a food source and return for more. This is why you are not allowed to feed bears, because they will return to your house for a second helping.

#8: Evolve Black bears, polar bears, and brown bears actually evolved from a sloth bear, a small bear found within the Indian continent. The sloth bear eats insects exclusively. The other species of bear branched out and evolved from the sloth bear to fit their respective environment. The black bear’s scientific name is Ursus Americanus.

Final Analysis A black bear is definitely biotic. It is hypersensitive to the environment, it reproduces, uses cells and genetic code, has a metabolism, and has a fully developed evolutionary history. It also is an excellent example of homeostasis, and it has a fully developed growth cycle.