Ceilidh+P.

=Ceilidh Pierce __Evolution of Plants__ Post #2, May 6th, 2016=

From the most simple plants, such as the first algal mats, to complex organisms, such as ferns and angiosperms, the evolutionary history of plants is quite intricate to say the least. Throughout time plants have evolved to live on land, as around 500 million years ago the plant group dominating the Earth was marine vegetation, which means that without the complicated evolution of such organisms, the majority of species alive today would simply not be alive today. By understanding how and why the first plants on Earth evolved so drastically since the beginning of history until this point in time, we can gain further knowledge into the evolution of pretty much anything.


 * Green Algae**

When talking about the evolutionary history of plants, one must talk about green algae as it is one of the most significant organisms in uncovering the evolution of all vegetation on Earth. Green algae are a diverse group of non-vascular plants classified under the phylum Chlorophyta (the divisions of green algae; at least eight thousand species) and can either be unicellular, multicellular, colonial (2 or more individuals living close association with one another) or filamentous (single celled algae that form a visible chain). There is an ample amount of evidence that such algae eventually evolved into land plants but one of the most significant pieces of proof is that both algae and land plants have starch as their energy reserve, meaning that they each species have a cell wall made of cellulose microfibrils which allow them to undergo photosynthesis to give them the energy they need. Also, the evolutionary timeline goes from algae, which live in aquatic areas because they are non-vascular plants, which evolved into bryophytes, which is also a non-vascular type of plant which requires at least a damp/moist area to survive. After bryophytes, plants eventually formed vascular tissue which allowed vegetation to grow in an environment outside of ones that have an exceptional amount of water. //Above: Blue-green algae//

//Above: A microscopic view of green algae//

//Above: An evolutionary timeline of plants//


 * The Importance of Vascular Tissue**

Vascular tissue is a highly significant system in plants (similar to the circulatory system in animals). The primary components found in vascular tissue are xylem and phloem, which carry fluids and nutrients throughout the plant. This complex system allowed aquatic plants to gradually evolve into land plants which means that the diversity of plants allowed for the diversity within other kingdoms (Animal, Fungi, etc).

//Above: The vascular system//

media type="youtube" key="OyCyIOEyL20" width="560" height="315"

//Bibliography://

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Evolution_of_Plants.aspx https://answersingenesis.org/biology/plants/the-origin-of-plants/ http://www.britannica.com/science/vascular-system http://www.algae.info/Algaecomplete.aspx

//Further Reading:// http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-first-plant-evolved/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21417-first-land-plants-plunged-earth-into-ice-age/ http://home.earthlink.net/~dayvdanls/PlantEvol.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686025/

Also a cool documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-4w5xYLwiU = = = = = = = = = = =The Frontal Lobe=

The frontal lobe is the region of the brain that controls our cognitive skills such as emotion, problem solving and sexual behaviors. As you can tell by the name, the frontal lobe is located at the anterior of the brain. The frontal lobe is part of the cerebral cortex, which is the most highly developed part of the human brain and is accountable for thinking, perceiving and comprehending language.

//An injury to the frontal lobe (the largest lobe in the brain) can result in impairments in judgments, and attention span. As this is the region of the brain that is in charge of emotions, damage to it could also make an individual assume risky behavior.//

//An analysis, conducted by Kyoto University, discovered people who were described as happy had a larger cerebral cortex (also known as grey matter).//

//Pictured above (left) is the brain of a normal brain and the photo on the right is the brain of an individual who has an active addiction.// // PET Scan and MRI data corroborate that when a person with an addiction is in a state of craving or withdrawal, their frontal lobe is asleep, which means that addiction is a brain disorder. //

//Frontotemporal dementia is a diverse group of uncommon disorders that occur in the front temporal lobes (which shrink because of the disorder). Frontotemporal dementia is often confused with Alzeimers; occuring at a much younger age however (between ages 40-70).//

media type="youtube" key="KfPUJKA6P2Q" width="560" height="315" //The video above describes the frontal lobe, a teenager's brain and addiction. I included this video in my post because I think he makes it very easy to understand something as complicated as the brain.//

=Further Reading= https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-the-face-adversity/201302/the-role-the-brain-in-happiness http://www.beyondthemind.com/extras/meditation-the-brain/frontal-lobes-the-limbic-system-meditation-mental-silence/ https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/drug-abuse-addiction/cocaine-users-brains-abnormal-frontal-lobes/ http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_08/i_08_cr/i_08_cr_dep/i_08_cr_dep.html

=Sources= http://www.riversideonline.com/health_reference/brain-spine-stroke/ds00874.cfm http://www.braininjury.com/frontal-lobe-injury.shtml http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/research/research_results/2015/151120_1.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfPUJKA6P2Q