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Biology UNIT 1-How do living things stay alive? > AOS 2-How do living systems sustain life? > Flashcards

AOS 2-How do living systems sustain life? Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

a gathering of populations grouped into a community and interacting with each other and the surrounding environment

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2
Q

What is an adaptation?

A

is a genetically controlled feature(structural, physiological and behavioural) that allows organisms to survive and reproduce in an environment

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3
Q

What are the three types of adaptations?

A

structural, physiological and behavioural

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4
Q

What is a structural adaptation?

A

it is a physical adaptation which can be seen on the external parts of their body. can be fur, spikes or colours

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5
Q

What is a physiological adaptation?

A

it is an internal adaptation . they are often internal processes which help to keep the organism alive

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6
Q

What is a behavioural adaptation?

A

it is an adaptation where organisms will act in a certain way to survive

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7
Q

Provide examples of organisms and their adaptations

A

echidnas: structural-spikes skin
camels: physiological-concentrated urine
penguins: behavioural-huddling

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8
Q

what is the tolerance range?

A

it is a term used to identify the variation within which organisms can survive

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9
Q

what are the three zones of tolerance

A

optimal zone, zone of physiological stress, zone of intolerance

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10
Q

describe the optimal zone

A

the zone where organisms can thrive

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11
Q

describe the zone of physiological stress

A

the zone that deviates from optimal zone, where organisms can survive but will not be able to thrive

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12
Q

describe the zone of intolerance

A

the zone where organisms cannot survive

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13
Q

what factors can affect the tolerance range?

A

abiotic factors such as weather, salinity and temperature

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14
Q

list some limiting factors(these are abiotic)

A

weather, temperature, oxygen levels, wind

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15
Q

what is biomimicry? give examples

A

where humans take inspiration from nature to assist with technological advances. e.g Japanese bullet train inspired by shape of birds beak

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16
Q

what are some human impacts on the environment?

A

pollution, deforestation due to cutting down trees and urban sprawl, oil spills and sewerage

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17
Q

what are some threats to ecosystems?

A

air and water pollution, biomagnification, oil spills, invasive/introduced species

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18
Q

what is biomagnification?

A

is the accumulation of micro plastics within the food web

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19
Q

what is an introduced species?

A

a species that is brought into a new environment by humans by accident or on purpose

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20
Q

what is an invasive species?

A

a species that can ruin the area that they were introduced to

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21
Q

how do introduced/invasive species survive well in the ecosystem that they are introduced to?

A

they have no predators so they can survive and thrive easily

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22
Q

what is homeostasis?

A

is the process of regulating internal conditions of the body despite external conditions

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23
Q

what is the stimulus response model?

A

a diagram that is used to show the process of a homeostatic response

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24
Q

what are the steps of the stimulus response model?

A

stimulus, receptor transmitted by nerves/hormones, control centre, transmitted by nerves/hormones, effector, response, negative feedback

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25
describe the steps of the stimulus response model
stimulus- something internal/external which can cause a reaction receptor- is reached control centre- brain or spinal cord receives message, which is then analysed and a reaction will be made effector- organ or muscle which receives message and responds to it response- the change negative feedback- change in stimulus brought about by response
26
what is negative feedback? provide example
a response that is the opposite to the original response. this occurs because an action that has been done is no longer needed
27
what is positive feedback? provide example
is when the response to the stimulus is extended
28
what is thermoregulation?
organisms ability to keep its internal temperature within a certain range despite the external environment
29
what is core body temperature? where in the body can it be found?
is the temperature of the vital organs in the body. can be found in the thorax, abdomen and head
30
what is the hypothalamus? what does it act as?
acts as the body's "thermostat". makes thermoregulatory adjustments to abnormal temperatures in the brain
31
how is the hypothalamus mechanism activated?
can be activated by thermo-receptors in the skin or by direct stimulation in the hypothalamus through change in blood temperature
32
what are the 5 relationships between organisms in an ecosystem?
parasite-host, predator-prey, amensalism, commensalism, mutualism
33
describe predator-prey relationship and give example
when a predator hunts and eats their prey, zebra and lion
34
describe parasite-host and give example
when parasite lives inside or on host, usually without killing it, headlice and human
35
describe mutualism and give example
prolonged association where both organisms benefit, bee and flower
36
describe commensalism and give example
association between species where one benefits and one is not affected, tree and birds nest
37
describe amensalism and give an example
where one species is not affected but the other is harmed, algal bloom and body of water that algae is in
38
what is a keystone species? give example
a species which maintains an ecosystem. the presence of this species is vital for the ecosystem, eg wolves in alpine areas
39
name the four trophic levels and the type of feeder at that level
1st trophic-producers 2nd trophic- primary consumers/herbivores 3rd trophic- secondary consumer/omnvivore/carnvivore 4th trophic-tertiary consumer/top carnivores
40
name each trophic level's source of energy
1st- sun or chemical energy 2nd- plants/producers 3rd-plant eaters 4th- producers, plant eaters
41
name 2 or more organisms at each trophic level
1st- leaves, algae 2nd-zooplankton, small fish 3rd-mice, small fish 4th-bears, killer whales (orcas)
42
what is population dynamics?
a holistic term which describes features of population
43
what is the abundance of a population? what are the characteristics of these?
is the relative representation of a population in a particular ecosystem
44
what is population density?
a measurement of a population in a given area
45
what is distribution of populations?
pattern of spread of a population over one space
46
what is population dispersion?
how a population is spread over one space. can be clumped, random or uniform
47
what can age structure population graph tell us?
can show if a population will grow or not
48
what are some things that age structure population graphs are able to show?
can show the births and deaths of a population and therefore show living conditions of that population
49
what are the four factors that affect size of a population?
immigration, emigration, births and deaths
50
describe immigration
when a species/population of a species move into a new area
51
describe emigration
when a species/population of a species move out of an area
52
what are the four factors, that affect the size of a population, known as, as a whole?
known as a 'primary ecological event'
53
what are other factors that might affect population? what are these known as
natural disasters, weather, predators. known as 'secondary ecological event'
54
what is carrying capacity?
is a term to describe the maximum number of species an environment can hold
55
what is limiting factor?
something that stops a population from growing excessively
56
what are density dependent factors? are they abiotic or biotic? name these factors
are biotic factors which are dependent on population size. can be predation, competition and disease
57
what are density independent factors? are they abiotic or biotic? name these factors
are abiotic factors which are not dependent on population. can be human activity, fires, extreme weather events
58
what is exponential growth?
where each generation of a species becomes larger due to the preceding generation.
59
how is exponential growth shown?
it is shown on a curve graph. graph should be an exponential curve
60
what is an "s curve" graph? what does it show?
graph with an s curve. bottom-middle portion shows growth, top portion shows carrying capacity as population will no longer grow
61
describe s curve graph
graph with an s curve. bottom-middle portion shows growth, top portion shows carrying capacity as population will no longer grow
62
what is an ecological niche?
it is a job or a role that an organism is assigned to
63
what is population?
it is the number of species of the same organism, living in the same area at the same time

Biology UNIT 1-How do living things stay alive? (2 decks)

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