Organism Profile

Assignment Instructions: You will write an organism profile based on literature researched about your chosen organism. Research should come from scientific information on the internet and research articles at the APUS library. Your paper should include, but not be limited to, the following topics:

1. Introduction/background information about the species – Include common and scientific names of the organism, the area you and this species live (country, state, city, etc.), the area’s biome classification, etc.
2. Life cycle of the species- Describe the life cycle of the organism you have chosen. The life cycle of an organism refers to the series of changes in both development and growth from its beginnings as an independent life form up until maturity, when it is able to reproduce. Organisms like bacteria have relatively simple life cycles; however other organisms (e.g., plants) have very complex stages to their life cycle.
3. Structure and Function- Describe the structure and function of at least one major organ system of the species (e.g., digestive system, reproductive system). Choose one system and explain how this organism’s system is structured anatomically and physiologically. Identify any species-specific characteristics or adaptations that are particularly unique to this organism and explain why.
4. Evolution of the organism – Evolution is simply heritable change over time. Sometimes changes from one generation to the next can give individuals an advantage. Specifically a trait that increases reproductive success or survival ability could be advantageous. Include a section in your profile paper about your organism’s evolution. Here are possible ways to research the topic:
a. Conduct a review of scientific literature to understand what is known about your organism’s past evolution. Search key words may include evolution, fossil, ancestor. Often technical reports from wildlife and conservation agencies have descriptions of an organism’s evolution.
b. Summarize research on any adaptive traits. Search key words include adaptation, evolution, trait, and character.
c. Find an article on the family tree or phylogeny of your organism. Summarize the information describing related species. Search key words might include phylogeny, phylogenetic, and genetic analysis.
d. Use the Tree of Life Project to describe the phylogeny of your organism. Start at species, if possible, and trace back to the root. In addition to your summary, include any interesting patterns or unknown data.
**Still have questions about how to research for the evolution section? Click here for a hypothetical example.
5. Additional interests – The diversity of biological organisms is vast. Therefore, if your organism has a particularly interesting aspect about its biology that is not covered in the life cycle, structure and function, and evolution add a section to your paper on that aspect. For example, if your species has an interesting parental care strategy or mating system (i.e., protrandry/protogyny, polygymy, promiscuity, monogamy) you can include that in your paper.

PLEASE NOTE that you must submit your Organism Profile as a “Microsoft Word” document rather than a Word Pad, Works, etc. type of document, otherwise you will not receive credit for your work.

Please review the university-wide policy on Plagiarism in your student handbook. All research papers will be submitted to a plagiarism detection website so it is imperative that your papers are your original work in your original words. Don’t forget to utilize proper APA style in-text citations for any paraphrasing and/or direct quotes utilized in your papers. Less than 10% of your paper should contain direct quotes and you should refrain from writing in the first or second person in your formal papers. Plagiarism will result in a zero for the entire assignment, as well as a formal letter to the Dean of Academic Affairs who will determine the next course of action, so make sure the work is your own.

Here are some additional resources to assist you in the construction of your Organism Profile:

· Organism Profile Tips and Guidelines
· APA Papers – General Format
· APA – In-Text Citations: The Basics
· APA – Reference List: Basic Rules
· Sample APA Style Paper
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Evaluation/Grading of this Assignment: Points are allocated as follows (Total of 100 points):

A. Subject Knowledge and Content- (65 points possible). Your paper should be pertinent to the subject matter and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject with an appropriate abstract, introduction, supporting paragraphs, and conclusions. The paper should be 750-1000 words (not including cover page, references, etc.). Your paper should be written in your own words using proper in-text citations where indicated. Please review the “Plagiarism” section located inside the APUS classroom under the “Syllabus” link for details. You should use a minimum of five current and reliable sources for your research: two of which must be from credible scientific organizations. You can use Internet articles, journals, textbooks, etc. In fact, I strongly recommend that you utilize the APUS Online Library for your research as they offer a plethora of reliable and pertinent research sources. You may access the Online Library by clicking on the “Online Library” link on the menu bar inside the electronic classroom. However, you should NEVER use Wikipedia for your research as anyone can alter the information on this site making it a poor source of accurate information. The topics covered in your paper should include but not be limited to the following criteria listed in detail above:
1. Introduction/background information about the species
2. Life cycle of the organism
3. Structure and Function
4. Evolution of the organism
5. Additional Interests
B. Format – (20 points possible). Your paper should utilize APA style format and contain a cover page, page headers, in-text citations, abstract, introductory and concluding paragraphs, a main body, and a reference page. References should be cited and properly listed in APA format. Whenever you write a paper based on the research of someone else’s work, you must give credit to the original author. If you do not cite and document your sources carefully, you run the risk of plagiarism. In addition, when you document papers correctly, you provide others with a way to find the sources you have used. I recommend you visit the following web site (The Owl at Purdue) to learn how to properly cite your sources in the APA format: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Your paper should be typewritten in double-spaced format using Arial or Times New Roman styles in a 12-point black font. All page margins (left, right, top, and bottom) should be set to 1 inch. See a copy of a sample of an APA formatted paper for reference: Sample APA Style Paper.
C. Spelling/Grammar/Punctuation – (15 points possible). Submit a high-quality paper, free of spelling and grammatical errors; use your “Spelling and Grammar Checker” in Word AND proofread your final draft!!!