1. Explain the idea that “life relies on death.

”
 All living things will eventually die, but that is not the end of everything. Decomposition or rotting will take
place. Wherein it will help release nutrients in the soil, water, and air that other living things capture and
use to build a new life. Hence, without death and decay, nothing would exist.

2. List the three agents of decay.

 Bacteria, insects, and molds are the three factors in the decay of organisms.
Day 2 / Preserving Food
3. What is causing the initial discoloration of the chicken?
 The discoloration of the chicken is associated with the presence of a bacteria called pseudomonas.
4. Why do the pseudomonas get a head start on the chicken?
 Pseudomonas is noticeable before causing deaths to chicken, which is an advantage since its signs and
symptoms were treated earlier.
5. Explain how the blow flies respond to the decay action of the bacteria.
 Every decaying or decayed organism will produce an odor. This smell will attract another organism like
blowflies since they can easily smell decays.
6. MREs have a shelf life of three years. How are they preserved?
 Bacteria often grow due to the presence of air, moisture, and water. Since MREs packaging are air and
water-free, preserving it for a long period of time is possible.
7. Sugar is added to jam to preserve it. How does it work?
 Fruits in jams release water that causes the building up of bacteria. And since sugar absorbs and traps
water, it can help in preserving the jam.
8. Packets of iron filings were placed in the sandwich packs. How do this slow down decay?
 Sandwich packs produce moisture that can affect decay. But iron filings have this ability to absorb the
moisture in the form of rust, so the decay slows down.
Day 8 / Carboniferous Period
9. What two insect decomposers are present by this time?
 Maggots and blowflies are the decomposers existing by this time.

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10. Label the fruiting body, filament, and spore heads in the mold diagram below.

SPORANGIUM

SPORES
1
 MYCELIUM

RHIZOIDS

11. In general, what food sources do molds prefer?

 Molds often form due to moisture. They are present in the air. And since fruits and vegetables are
exposed to air, they are more prone to having molds.
12. Mold and bacteria compete over the same food sources. How do molds fight off the bacteria?
 Aside from the fact that molds are present in the air and lands on foods faster than bacteria, molds can
also discharge chemicals that can damage and kill bacteria.
13. Explain how ingesting mold can be dangerous to humans.
 Molds in a small amount are harmless. But, if taken in a large amount can cause damages and harm to
the body since it's toxic. It can even cause death.
14. What happened when trees first evolved wood during the Carboniferous Period that couldn’t be decayed.
a. Effect on atmosphere: Trees will consume more carbon that will be taken from the air. And since more
carbon is emitted, the amount of oxygen present in air increases.

b. Effect on insects: Since trees will not die and oxygen increases, insects will grow in enormous sizes.
15. The fungus decomposing lignin in the wood piece was growing hyphae. Explain what these are for.
 Fungus releases and produces strong enzymes that speed up the splitting of lignin's chemical
composition. After it breaks, it will release nutrients that are then absorbed by organisms.
Day 16
16. Why did the Sexton Beetles bury the rat?
 Sexton beetles bury the rat so that the other agents of decomposing will not be able to find it easily.

17. Which types of foods do maggots prefer?

 Maggots don't prefer to eat living tissues. They prefer an organism's dead tissue. Hence, they are mostly
fed on dead meat.

18. Why do maggots feed as a pack instead of separately?

 Maggot shares digestive enzymes. When they are feed in a group, heat will be present that enables them
to grow faster together.
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 19. Label the hooks, circular bands, and spiracles of the maggot.

HOOKS SPIRACLES
CIRCULAR BANDS

20. Explain the function of each of the parts of the maggot.

a. Hooks – Maggots use their hooks to grab on things or foods.
b. Circular Bands – Maggots use their hooks to grab on things or foods.
c. Spiracles – The spiracles of maggots work as their nose. They breathe in and out through it.
21. Why do maggots breathe out of their rear instead of their front?
 Maggots are eating all the time. Breathing on their spiracles will allow them to breathe and eat at the
same time.
22. Humans find the smell of decaying material to be offensive and repellant. Why might we have evolved this
revulsion?
 Our body and brain have its ability to tell us if a thing is harmful or toxic. Hence, we avoid materials or
things that would make us sick.
Day 23 / Decay Forensics
23. Fish and meat produce a much more repulsive smell when rotting than fruit or vegetables. Why is this?
 Proteins are present in fishes and meat. And when it breaks down, it will produce a foul smell in contrast
with fruit or vegetables. The alcohol and the sweet smell of fruits and vegetables make their smell when
rotting less foul-smelling.
24. Explain the physical differences between the two pigs shown in the experiment:
a. Pig 1 (Bloating) – The bacterias are present inside the pig that enables the production of certain gases
making the pig bloat. Its smell is not that noticeable since the bacterias are consuming the cell of the pig
from the inside.

b. Pig 2 (Liquifying) – The body of the pig is mostly composed of water, and as the cell breaks down,
more liquid is also released. The maggots consuming it also excretes water as part of their digestive
process. Its smell is more prominent than the first one.

25. How is the “fingerprint of decay” measured?

 The decay materials are highly electrically charged. In measuring the fingerprint of decay, the
conductivity left behind the bodies is the one being measured that can be traced for centuries.

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 26. What applications might measuring soil like this have for forensic science?
 This can also detect electrical charges left behind from the bodies buried in such places even centuries
ago. So, this can also help in finding bodies of buried murder victims.

Day 37 / Slime Molds

27. What effect do the flies have on the molds growing on the fruit?
 The flies eat the fungus and spores present on the mold and recycle the fungus. The fruit has become
molds and, then the molds become flies.
28. Why do some fungi, like the stinkhorn, attract flies?
 When stinkhorns breakthrough the ground or soil, they release a smell that attracts the flies. It also has
this jelly-like flesh at its top that is food for the flies and helps them spread their spores.
29. Why do slime molds grow multiple tubes that connect to each of the oat flakes (food)?
 Slime molds grow in different directions and produce multiple tubes that connect to their food. They use
this strategy to ensure that all the nutrients will be transferred to the entire slime mold.
30. How do slime molds transmit information across their entire network?
 When the slime mold finds a food source, it can easily notice that and it pulses rapidly. Its pulse help
transmits the information across the entire cell.
Day 44
31. What is different about the conditions of the house that favors larder beetles instead of flies?
 The remains of flies are dry and hard. Those remains are preferred by larder beetles. The smell produced
by the hardened and dried foods left by the flies signals the larder beetles to start the next stage of
decay.
32. Describe what the sexton beetles did with the rat carcass.
 The sexton beetle consumed almost everything of the rat remains. They have stripped the rat carcass up
to its bone.
Day 52
33. Explain how nitrogen atoms are transferred from dead mustard plant material into new marigold seedlings.
 The decay of the dead mustard plant is mixed into the soil as it decomposes which will then give and
transfer its nutrients from the soil to the marigold seedlings planted there.

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