Overview & Lesson Sequence

Focus on Standards & Assessment

Materials Needed, Preparation & Planning, Management Strategies

Background Info

Intro Activity
Why Study Populations?

Meet the Aphids

Research Project
Aphid Population Growth

Data Analysis I

Data Analysis II

Optional Activity
The Power of Exponential Growth

References

Glossary

Suppliers

Resource Sheets

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Glossary

amino acids
a group of water soluble organic compounds that are the chief components of proteins. Amino acids are synthesized by cells or obtained from food.

carrying capacity
the population that an area will support without undergoing deterioration.

fecundity
the fertility of an organism.

honeydew
a sugar-filled liquid excreted from the anus of aphids and some other sap-sucking insects.

host plant
the plant on which an insect feeds. Many insects are adapted to feed on only one type or family of plants.

metamorphosis
a marked change in form or structure during development. The process is a common part of the life cycle of many invertebrates and amphibians and is controlled by hormones.

parthenogenesis
the development of an organism from an unfertilized egg.

phloem
the tissue that carries food to the growing parts of the plant. The tissue is composed of sieve tubes which are specially designed food-conducting cells.

siphunculus
one of a pair of tubular outgrowths on the posterior part of the abdomen of aphids. Siphunculi produce defensive chemicals in some aphid species and are sometimes called cornicles.