![](media/image1.png){width="0.5834645669291338in" height="0.75in"}Life
Science

*Middle School Ecology*

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**Benchmarks and Standards 115**

#### Glossary 122 {#glossary-122 .unnumbered}

#### Resources 127 {#resources-127 .unnumbered}

**CONTENT STANDARDS WITH BENCHMARKS**

***Science***

***Unifying Concepts and Processes***

*CONTENT STANDARD 1:*

Students will understand science concepts of order and organization.

**SC1-E1**

Students will apply information about the predictability and
organization of the universe and its subsystems.

**SC1-E2**

Students will apply prediction to scientific problems and events.

**CONTENT STANDARD 2:**

Students will use evidence, models, and explanations to explore the
physical world.

**SC2-E1**

Students will identify and organize evidence needed to predict changes
in natural and artificial systems.

**SC2-E2**

Students will organize phenomena into hypotheses, models, laws,
theories, principles, and paradigms.

**SC2-E3**

Students will design and develop models.

**CONTENT STANDARD 3:**

Students will use form and function to organize and understand the
physical world.

**SC3-E1**

Students will explain function by referring to form and explain form by
referring to function.

**CONTENT STANDARD 4:**

Students will understand the physical world through the concepts of
change, equilibrium, and measurement.

**SC4-E1**

Students will illustrate that constancy and change are properties of
objects and processes.

**SC4-E2**

Students will illustrate that energy and matter can be transformed and
changed but the sum remains the same.

**SC4-E3**

Students will use elementary scientific devices to measure objects and
simple phenomena.

**SC4-E4**

Students will employ mathematics to quantify properties of objects and
phenomena.

**SC4-E5**

Students will relate the contributions of external and internal forces
to change in the form and function of objects, organisms, and natural
systems.

***Science as Inquiry***

**CONTENT STANDARD 5:**

Students will acquire the abilities to do scientific inquiry.

**SC5-E1**

Students will use the scientific method within the classroom and school
environment.

**SC5-E2**

Students will employ equipment, tools, a variety of techniques, and
information sources to gather, analyze, and interpret data.

**SC5-E3**

Students will explain that scientific theories emphasize evidence, have
logically consistent arguments, and use scientific principles, models,
and theories. Well-accepted scientific theories are formulations of
apparent relationships or underlying principles of certain observed
phenomena that have been verified to a very high degree.

**CONTENT STANDARD 6:**

Students will understand the process of scientific inquiry.

**SC6-E1**

Students will use different kinds of methods, including observation,
experiments, and theoretical and mathematical models to answer a variety
of scientific questions.

**SC6-E2**

Students will use their own understanding of science to guide their
scientific investigations.

**SC6-E3**

Students will use criteria for sound scientific investigations to verify
the truth of the results of their own and others' investigations.

**SC6-E4**

Students will choose appropriate methods and analytic techniques for
specific science problems and investigations.

**SC6-E5**

Students will use technology and scientific methods to gather evidence
to enhance the accuracy of their findings.

**SC6-E6**

Students will describe the results of investigations with teachers,
peers, parents, and others.

**SC6-E7**

Students will explain that scientific investigations can result in new
ideas, objects, methods, techniques, and procedures for investigation.

**SC6-E8**

Students will explain that in areas where there is not a great deal of
experimental or observational evidence, it is typical for scientists to
differ with one another about the theory, hypothesis, or evidence being
investigated.

***Physical Science***

**CONTENT STANDARD 7:**

Students will know and understand the properties of matter.

**SC7-E1**

Students will identify the characteristic properties of elements and
compounds such as density, boiling point, and solubility.

**SC7-E2**

Students will explain that the characteristic properties of an element
or compound are independent of the amount (size) of the sample.

**SC7-E3**

Students will discriminate between elements based on the characteristic
ways in which they react with other elements to form compounds that are
different substances with unique characteristic properties.

**CONTENT STANDARD 8:**

Students will know and understand the properties of fields, forces, and
motion.

**SC8-E1**

Students will explain that when an object is not being subjected to a
force, the object will continue to move at a constant speed and in a
straight line.

**SC8-E2**

Students will describe quantitatively how an object's position, speed,
and direction explain motion.

**SC8-E3**

Students will compare and contrast gravity to other forces in the world
and universe.

**CONTENT STANDARD 9:**

Students will know and understand the concepts of energy and the
transformation of energy.

**SC9-E1**

Students will apply knowledge about energy and energy transformation to
science problems.

**SC9-E2**

Students will explain how chemical reactions can take place in time
periods ranging from less than a second to millions of years.

**SC9-E3**

Students will explain how chemical reactions involve concentration,
pressure, temperature, and catalysts.

***Life Science***

**CONTENT STANDARD 10:**

Students will know and understand the characteristics that are the basis
for classifying organisms.

**SC10-E1**

Students will use information about living things including:

-   The roles of structure and function as complementary in the
    organization of living systems.

-   Cells as the fundamental unit of life.

-   The functions of cells which sustain life.

-   Cell division.

-   The use of nutrients by cells.

-   The role of heredity and environment in the characteristics of
    individual organisms.

-   That small genetic differences between offspring and parents may
    accumulate in succeeding generations and may or may not be
    advantageous for the species.

-   Disease as a breakdown in the structures or function of an organism.

**SC10-E2**

Students will categorize organisms according to reproductive and other
characteristics.

**CONTENT STANDARD 11:**

Students will know and understand the synergy among organisms and the
environments of organisms.

**SC11-E1**

Students will distinguish among organisms based on the way an organism
regulates its internal environment in relation to changes in its
external environment.

**SC11-E2**

Students will describe how organisms obtain and use resources, grow,
reproduce, and maintain a stable internal environment while living in a
constantly changing external environment.

**SC11-E3**

Students will predict behavior in relation to changes in an organism's
internal and external environments.

**SC11-E4**

Students will use knowledge of population characteristics to distinguish
specific populations.

**SC11-E5**

Students will categorize organisms based on the function they serve
within their ecosystem.

**SC11-E6**

Students will examine the impact humans have had on other species and
natural systems over time.

**SC11-E7**

Students will illustrate the impact that overpopulation might have on
various regions of the world.

**SC11-E8**

Students will analyze consumption of nonrenewable resources based on
population factors (birth rate, death rate, and density).

**SC11-E9**

Students will illustrate the role of personal control of basic needs on
health outcomes.

**SC11-E10**

Students will model responsible health behaviors for peers and others.

**SC11-E11**

Students will demonstrate the impact of nutrition and exercise on
personal health.

***Earth and Space Science***

**CONTENT STANDARD 12:**

Students will know and understand properties of earth science.

**SC12-E1**

Students will explain how Earth's materials can be transformed from one
state to another.

**SC12-E2**

Students will experiment with the uses of Earth's materials as
resources.

**SC12-E3**

Students will model natural processes that shape the Earth's surface.

**SC12-E4**

Students will observe, measure, and record weather changes that occur
daily.

**SC12-E5**

Students will explain how fossils are formed and how fossils provide
evidence of the complexity and diversity of life over time.

**SC12-E6**

Students will use a rectilinear coordinate system such as latitude and
longitude to locate points on the surface of Earth.

**SC12-E7**

Students will describe the interaction between the Earth's lithosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

**CONTENT STANDARD 13:**

Students will know and understand basic concepts of cosmology.

**SC13-E1**

Students will model the predictable patterns of the sun and planets in
the solar system.

**SC13-E2**

Students will describe the elements of the universe including stars,
galaxies, dust clouds, and nebulae.

**SC13-E3**

Students will explain various scientific theories for the origin of the
universe.

**SC13-E4**

Students will explain how instruments and vehicles are used for space
exploration work.

***Technology and the History of Science***

**CONTENT STANDARD 14:**

Students will know and understand the differences between the
interactions of science and technology.

**SC14-E1**

Students will design and conduct experiments that distinguish between
natural and artificial objects and materials.

**SC14-E2**

Students will demonstrate trade-offs in safety, cost, efficiency, and
appearance related to technological solutions provided through science.

**SC14-E3**

Students will compare and contrast a variety of scientific and
technological solutions to problems.

**SC14-E4**

Students will examine the role of technology, particularly computers and
other electronic advances, in the advancement of science.

**CONTENT STANDARD 15:**

Students will know and understand the impact between science and
technology in society.

**SC15-E1**

Students will illustrate the impact that work settings have on
scientific investigations.

**SC15-E2**

Students will demonstrate how the direction for scientific
investigations is related to social issues and challenges.

**SC15-E3**

Students will explain how the benefits of science and technology are
enjoyed by some groups and not by other groups.

**SC15-E4**

Students will compare and contrast the science contributions of people
with diverse interests, talents, qualities, and motivations from a
variety of social and ethnic backgrounds.

**SC15-E5**

Students will predict new areas of scientific inquiry based on previous
research.

**SC15-E6**

Students will analyze the impact of culture, gender, and other factors
on an individual's choice of science as a career.

**SC15-E7**

Students will differentiate between ethical and unethical scientific
practices and research.

***Science in Personal, Social and Environmental Perspectives***

**CONTENT STANDARD 16:**

Students will know and understand the relationship between natural
hazards and environmental risks for organisms.

**SC16-E1**

Students will analyze environmental risks for personal and social costs.

**SC16-E2**

Students will determine options for reducing and eliminating
environmental risks and for coping with natural catastrophic events.

**SC16-E3**

Students will predict the human and financial costs of slow natural
events such as drought and rapid natural events such as earthquakes.

**SC16-E4**

Students will develop models for prevention of substance abuse including
tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, and to reduce the associated
environmental risks.

Ecology Glossary

A

Abiotic factors are non-living parts of an ecosystem.

Adaptation a behavior, physical feature, or other characteristic that
helps an animal survive and make the most of its habitat; the way any
living thing is fitted to the life it leads.

Algal bloom is a consequence of eutrophication. Masses of blue-green
algae choke the life out of a lake or river by depriving it of much
needed oxygen. Under extreme conditions this can leave the water
completely devoid of fish.

Alluvial fan a fan-shaped deposit of gravel, sand, and silt that forms
where a stream flows into a plain and slows down, dropping its load.

Aquifer rock layers that contain water and will release its appreciable
quantities into wells or springs.

Arch an alcove formed from erosion perched at the edge of a slick-rocked
bowl.

Arid dry.

Arroyo a deep gully cut by an intermittent stream.

B

Biological parameters refers to organisms supported in the water such as
bacteria, plankton, and fish.

Biome an area that has a certain kind of climate and a certain kind of
community of plants and animals.

Biotic factors the living parts of an ecosystem.

Burrow a hole or tunnel dug in the ground by an animal for habitat or
refuge.

Butte a hill that rises abruptly from the surrounding area; it has
sloping sides and a flat top.

C

Canyon a narrow chasm with steep cliff sides.

Carnivores secondary or higher consumer in a food chain that therefore
eats other animals.

Chemical parameters refer to the chemical make-up of the water such as
the amount of dissolved oxygen, phosphate, and nitrate.

Clay soil contains fine particles, and is heavy, cool, and damp.

Columns are left after an arch changes or falls, leaving a layer of more
resistant rock caps.

Combustion a chemical change accompanied by heat and light.

Community a group of plants and animals that lives in the same habitat.

Commensalism an interaction between two living things where one species
benefits from the relationship and the other is not affected.

Community all populations in a given area.

Competition an interaction among living things where two populations
compete for the same resources and territory.

Conservation a scientific discipline that seeks to understand the
effects of human activities on species, communities, and ecosystems and
to develop practical approaches to preventing the extinction of species
and the destruction of ecosystems.

Consumer animals that cannot make their own food, but must eat plants
and/or other animals.

Cryptobiotic soils a living soil crust dominated by cyanobacteria, soil
lichens, mosses, green algae, microfungi, and bacteria, the knobby black
crusts are extraordinarily well-developed, and may represents 70 to 80
percent of the living ground cover. These crusts play an important role
in the ecosystems in which they occur. They are found in the Colorado
Plateau (Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico).

Cultural eutrophication is water pollution caused by excessive plant
nutrients.

D

Decomposer organisms that feed on the dead bodies of other organisms,
breaking them down into simpler substances.

Deforestation to clear away all the trees.

Dehydrated to remove or lose water.

Dendrochronology the method of dating events and conditions based on the
number, width, and density of growth rings in old trees.

Deposition is a natural process occurring when materials are carried
from one place and deposited in another by such forces as wind, water,
and ice.

Desert an area that receives less than 10 inches of rainfall a year and
has a very high rate of evaporation.

Desert varnish is a dark coating on rocks found in arid regions. The
coating is composed predominantly of fine-grained minerals. Desert
varnish is formed by colonies of microscopic bacteria living on the rock
surface for thousands of years.

Detritivores an organism that feeds on large bits of dead and/or
decaying organic matter. Decomposers use what detritivores leave behind.

Drought a long period of low rainfall.

Dune a ridge or hill of wind-blown sand.

Durable surface rock, sand, and gravel; these surfaces are highly
durable and can tolerate repeated trampling and scuffing.

E

Ecology the study of how plants and animals interact with each other and
their environments.

Ecosystem all the living organisms in a given area as well as their
physical environment---usually made up of many complex interactions.

Environment the sum of all the surroundings affecting something's
development and survival.

Erosion wearing away the land by physical methods such as rubbing and
scraping, and carrying away the eroded materials, such as rock
particles.

Eutrophication is the process by which lakes gradually age and become
less productive.

Evaporation when a liquid turns into vapor or gas.

F

Fire a rapid persistent chemical change that releases heat and light and
is accompanied by flames.

Flash flood when water run off overflows the bank of rivers and streams,
caused usually by heavy rainfall in a small area.

Forest a large area thickly covered with trees and plants.

Fuel something consumed to produce energy.

G

Grassland a large open area of grass, such as a meadow or prairie.

Groundwater water that fills the spaces between rocks and soil particles
underground.

H

Habitat the place where an organism lives.

Hardpans a layer of hard subsoil or clay; caliche.

Herbivores an animal that feeds chiefly on plants.

Humidity the amount of moisture in the air.

K

Karst a type of topography that is formed in limestone, gypsum, and
other soluble rocks primarily by dissolution; are characterized by
sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage.

L

Leaching the process by which materials on or in soil are dissolved and
carried by water seeping through the soil.

Limiting factors are those factors that particularly determine whether
an organism lives in an area.

Limnology the study of inland fresh water systems.

Loam contains sand and clay.

M

Mesa a flat-topped elevation with steep sides.

Microhabitat a small area where an organism lives that has different
conditions from another small area that might be right next door.

Mutualism an interaction among living things where both species benefit
from the relationship.

N

Niche an organism's way of life, also considered to be an organism's
occupation.

Nonpoint pollution pollution that doesn't come from a single,
identifiable source; includes materials that wash off streets, lawns,
farms, and other surfaces.

O

Ocean the body of salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface.

Overcrowding when too many organisms try to live in one area at one time
and use up all the natural resources.

Oxidation is the chemical reaction by which oxygen combines chemically
with the elements of a burning substance.

P

pH a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

Parasitism an interaction among living things where one species benefits
at the expense of another.

Peat soil contains decayed plants and dead plant material.

Photosynthesis the process of using the sun's energy to turn carbon
dioxide and water into sugar.

Physical parameters are conditions that refer to water temperature,
stream velocity, and turbidity (clarity).

Playa a flat area at the bottom of a desert basin, sometimes temporarily
covered with water.

Point pollution pollution that comes from a particular source, such as
from a factory or sewage treatment plant.

Pollinate to fertilize by transferring pollen from an anther to the
stigma.

Pollution human-caused change in the physical, chemical, or biological
conditions of the environment that creates an undesirable effect on
living things.

Population all the species that live in an area and make up a breeding
group.

Precipitation water reaching the surface of the Earth (rain, sleet,
snow, frost, and dew).

Predation an interaction where one species consumes another.

Predator an organism that feeds off of other organisms.

Prescribed fire the controlled application of fire to wildland fuels in
either a natural or modified state, under specified environmental
conditions which allow the fire to be confined to a predetermined area
and at the same time produce the intensity required to attain planned
resource management objectives.

Prescription is a written document detailing all site-specific
information needed for a crew leader to successfully carry out a
prescribed burn. It should include weather elements involved, fire
behavior, smoke management, amount and type of fuel in the area,
location of natural and manmade fire barriers, degree of risk and
hazards present, burning technique and intensity of fire to be used,
burning objectives for the particular area, restrictive measures
dictated by law or local custom, fire suppression safety, location of
any improvements which could be endangered, areas within the prescribed
unit that may need to be excluded from fire.

Prey an organism that is consumed by another organism.

Primary consumers *see herbivore*.

Primary producers an organism that makes its own food through
photosynthesis.

Producer organisms such as plants that make their own food.

R

Rainforest a dense, tropical forest where a lot of rain falls.

Rain shadow rain falls on the sides of mountains that face a water
source rather than on the sheltered sides of mountains, creating a
desert.

S

Sandy soil contains mostly sand.

Scavengers an animal that feeds on dead or decaying matter.

Secondary consumers *see carnivore*.

Sediment finely divided solid material that settles to the bottom of a
liquid.

Soil the top layer of the Earth's surface, suitable for the growth of
plant life.

Soil compaction is the process of increasing the density of soil by
packing the particles closer together causing a reduction in the volume
of air.

Stewardship the position, duties, or service of steward. In the National
Park setting, stewards are people who help to preserve and conserve the
National Park for future generations.

Stony soil contains many rocks.

Succession -- the act of following in order.

T

Taiga the artic evergreen forest.

Tertiary consumers *see scavengers*.

Thermodynamics the relationship between heat and other forms of energy.

Tundra a cold area where there are no trees and the soil under the
surface of the ground is permanently frozen.

U

Uncontrolled hunting unregulated hunting that reduces animal populations
to a minimum.

W

Wadi a valley, gully, or riverbed that remains dry except during the
rainy season.

Water cycle series of movements of water on and below the Earth's
surface; includes storage, evaporation, precipitation and runoff.

Water infiltration rate rate of absorption and downward movement of
water into the soil layer.

Weathering a process by which rocks exposed to the weather break down.

Wildfire an uncontrolled, rapidly spreading fire.

# Ecology Resources

Amazing Environmental Organization. Retrieved August 6, 2002,
*http://www.webdirectory.com/*

American Water Resources Association. Retrieved July 25, 2002,
*http://www.awra.org/jawra/papers/J90126.htm*

Berkeley's The Worlds Biome. Retrieved July 15, 2002,
*http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/index.html*

Biome Basics. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/biomes/biomes.html*

Biomes and Soils. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://www.tesarta.com/www/resources/library/biomes.html*

Biomes of the World. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/index.htm

Biomes on the Net. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://www.d300.kane.k12.il.us/SchoolSites/dms/Biomes/Biomes.html*

Bowers, J.E., (1989). 100 Desert Wildflowers of the Southwest. Tucson:
Southwest Parks and Monuments Association.

Braus, J., (1989). Ranger Rick's Nature Scope: Trees are Terrific.
Washington DC: National Wildlife Federation.

Characteristics of Different Soil Types. Retrieved July 23, 2002,
*http://homepages.which.net/\~fred.moor/soil/formed/f0108.htm*

Comparing Tree Rings. Retrieved July 27, 2002,
*http://www.bsu.edu/teachers/burris/iwonder/realities/activities/ctr.html*

Cunningham, R.L., (1990). 50 Common Birds of the Southwest. Tucson:
Southwest Parks and Monuments Association.

Cyberzoo: What is a Biome. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://lsb.syr.edu/projects/cyberzoo/biome.html*

Desert Living Tips. Retrieved July 6, 2002,
*http://www.azrelocate.com/desliv.htm*

EarthPulse. Retrieved July 20, 2002,
*http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/*

Ecosystems, Biomes, and Watersheds. Retrieved July 15, 2002,
*http://cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Biodiversity/biodv-6.cfm*

Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved July 12, 2002,
*http://www.britannica.com*

EPA Office of Water. Retrieved July 20, 2002,
*http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/nationswaters/groundwater.html*

Fire Initiative. Retrieved July 27, 2002, *http://www.tncfire.org/*

Fischer, P.C., (1989). 70 Common Cacti of the Southwest. Tucson:
Southwest Parks and Monuments Association.

Gander Academy's Cave Theme Page. Retrieved July 20, 2002,
*http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/cave.htm*

Geography4Kids.com. Retrieved August 5, 2002,
*http://www.geography4kids.com/misc/soil.html*

Grolier's Biomes of The World. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://biomes.grolier.com/biomes/pg02.html*

Ground Water Pollution: A Potential Threat. Retrieved July 25, 2002,
*http://www.epa.gov.tw/student/caring/ground.htm*

Ground Water: The Hidden Resource. Retrieved July 25, 2002,
*http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_SS112*

Groundwater Biology Home Page. Retrieved July 18, 2002,
*http://www.geocities.com/\~mediaq/index1.html*

Identification of Soil Compaction and its Limitations. Retrieved July
23, 2002, *http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/soil/g831.htm*

Jagnow, D.H., Jagnow, R.R., (1992). Stories From Stones: The Geology of
the Guadalupe Mountains. Carlsbad Caverns Guadalupe Mountain
Association.

Lambert, D. (1988). The Field Guide to Geology. New York: Facts on File
Inc.

Low Impact Camping. Retrieved July 20, 2002,
*http://www.enn.com/features/2000/04/04182000/quiz_12_low_impact_camping_12043.asp*

Lycos Zone: Major Biomes of the World. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://kids.infoplease.lycos.com/ipka/A0769052.html*

Minimal Impact Ethics for Wilderness Use. Retrieved July 20, 2002,
*http://www.sgwa.org/impact.htm*

Murphy, D., (1984). The Guadalupes: Guadalupe Mountain National Park.
Paragon Press Inc.Olin, G. (2000). 50 Common Mammals of the Southwest.
Tucson: Southwest Parks and Monuments Association.

Prescribed Burns Should We Do It?. Retrieved July 27, 2002,
*http://r05s001.pswfs.gov/stanislaus/fire/burning.htm.* Radford's
Introduction to Biomes. Retrieved July 15, 2002,
*http://www.runet.edu/\~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/intro.html*

Soil Compaction. Retrieved July 23, 2002,
*http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/facts/88-082.htm*

Soil Compaction: Causes and Consequences. Retrieved July 23, 2002,
*http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/components/3115s01.html*

Soil Types and Testing. Retrieved July 23, 2002,
*http://www.smartgardening.com/Soil_Characteristics_and_Testing.htm*

Sources of Water Pollution. Retrieved July 25, 2002,
*http://www.intac.com/\~mystic/pages/multsources.html*

The Aquatic Blue Yonder. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/aquatic.html*

The Science of Dendrochronology Web Pages. Retrieved July 27, 2002,
*http://web.utk.edu/\~grissino/*

The World's Biomes. Retrieved July 14, 2002,
*http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/*

Tread Lightly. Retrieved July 20, 2002, *http://www.treadlightly.org/*

Tree Rings List of Links. Retrieved July 27, 2002,
*http://homepages.kcbbs.gen.nz/af/cys_tree.htm*

University of Puget Sound: Biomes of the World. Retrieved July 15, 2002,
*http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/worldbiomes.html*

US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved August 10, 2002,
*http://www.epa.gov/ow/*

Wendy's Conservation Home Page. Retrieved July 20, 2002,
*http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/6243/index.html*

West, S. (2000). Northern Chihuahuan Desert Wildflowers. Helena, MT:
Falcon Publishing Inc.

World Wide Fund for Nature-WWF: Virtual Wildlife Wild Place. Retrieved
July 15, 2002, *http://www.panda.org/kids/wildlife/idxregmn.htm*