Gases, liquids, and solids are phases of matter found in and around living systems. Modifying these phases entails transforming from one to another, such as ice melting into liquid water or water turning into gas vapor. Phases of matter have different properties, so living systems need strategies to manage different phases. Modifying phases enables living systems to take advantage of the properties of more than one phase to carry out life activities. An example of how a living system manages and uses different phases is found in the rainforest. The forest obtains water from rain and some goes into the soil to be taken up by the roots. But some water remains in the forest’s canopy, where it evaporates to a gaseous phase and is carried elsewhere by air, descending again as rain on a different ecosystem.
Clade Angiosperms (“receptacle seed”): Dandelions, oaks, grasses, cacti, apples
With 416 families containing some 300,000 known species, angiosperms are the most diverse group of plants, and they can be found around the globe in a wide variety of habitats. They are characterized by seeds that grow enclosed in ovaries, which are enclosed in flowers. The floral organs then develop into fruits of myriad kinds and dimensions, from simple seed casings on maples to elaborate fleshy growths like papayas. The oldest flower known from fossils, Montsechia vidalii, appeared during the Jurassic Period 130 million years ago. They are the primary food source for herbivorous animals, which in turn makes them the indirect food source for carnivores as well.
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