biosurf unit 5 ch. 19 In the communnity

Chapter 19 - Response and Reproduction in Plants

In the United States, the most commonly encountered poisonous plant is poison ivy. You can learn more about how to avoid poison ivy and what happens if you don't at the following sites:
Identifying Poison Ivy: My grandmother used to say, "Leaflets three—leave it be." Actually, there's a bit more to it than that, but the three leaflets are your first clue. This page will fill you in on the details and provide you with other links to explore.
Poison Ivy: An Exaggerated Immune Response to Nothing Much: This site explains in great detail why poison ivy is irritating. If you don't know much about immunology, it's a bit difficult to wade through, but it's still worth a visit--if only to learn how complicated those rashes really are.
Poison Oak: Home and Landscape: Poison oak is the less common relative of poison ivy. You can learn about western poison oak at this site from the University of California at Davis. It includes a photograph of the plant, information on how to identify it, a description of its unpleasant effects, and suggestions on how to remove it from your property.

Of course not all irritating plants need to be touched to make us suffer. Loads of people are made miserable on a seasonal basis by allergies to plant pollens. For more information on pollen and allergies visit the following sites:
What the Heck Is an Allergy?: This is an easy-to-follow explantion of allergic reactions.
National Allergy Forecast: Allergy sufferers can learn the pollen count in their area by looking at several maps of the United States. Helpful hints and allergy FAQ sites are included.

Unit 5 Index

Learning Links
Chapter 17 || Chapter 18 || Chapter 19 || Chapter 20

In the News || Link and Think
Spotlight on Careers || Teachers' Lounge

In the Community
Chapter 17 || Chapter 18 || Chapter 19 || Chapter 20