Area of Study 3 Adaptations Of Organisms Flashcards
Absorbance spectrum
A graph of the amount of light of different wavelengths (colours), absorbed by a given substance.
Adaptations
A feature of an organism that helps it to survive, that is, love long enough to produce fertile offspring.
Adventitious roots
A root that grows from parts of a plant other than the main root
Biome
The community of organisms in a large area with the same climate
Biosphere
The region of the earths surface that is inhabited by living things
Biotic factors
Factors of the environment that are living
Biota
The living components of an organisms environment
Canopy
The space at the tree of a forests where communities of plants and animals can live
Chemotropism
The growth of a part of a plant towards a chemical stimulus
Coleoptiles
?
Day-neural plants
Types of plants that flowers independently of the day
Ephemerals
Short lived, short life cycled organisms
Epicormic buds
Buds that lie under the bard of some plants
Epiphytes
Aerial plants that live on other plants for support
Flaccid
Describes the condition of plants cells where water has been lost, the cytoplasm moves away from the cell wall
Geotropism
A plant growth response to gravity, can be + or -
Habit
The form or shape of a plant
Habitat
A place in which an organism lives
Herbicides
Chemicals that kill plants
Holdfasts
Structures that holds main seaweeds to the substratum
Holistic
An overall view that considers more than just the parts together
Hydrotropism
Growth in response to water
Lignotubers
Large woody masses or rootstocks at the bases of some trees
Limiting factor
The factor that puts a limit on the distribution of a species
Long-day plants
Plants that require a long period of sunlight to flower
Nastic
Relates to movement of a plant in response to a non-directional stimulus
Nutation
Slight irregular movements
Optimum range
A narrow area in which an abiotic factors levels best suits the organism, and it can function the best.
Perennial
Describes a plant that counties to grow year after year
Photoperiodism
Refers to the physiological reaction on a organism to the length of day or night.
Physiological stress
stress experienced when an organism is outside its tolerance range
Phytochrome
A pigment plants use to detect sunlight, in the red region of the spectrum
Phytohormones
Plant growth substances
Pneumatophores
A rail roots that link with underground roots to enable gaseous exchange
Qualitative
Descriptions that do not involves measurements
Quantitative
Measurements that can be quantified-expressed in units
Range
The geographic extent or area that an organism inhabits
Sessile
Permanently attach eyed to one place rather than free moving
Short-day plants
Plants that flower after long periods of darkness, often called long night plants
Shrub
A small bushy plant
Statolith
Starch grains in cell that appear near the root and shoot tips
Stratification
Vertical differences in abiotic factors, giving rise to layers or stratum
Substratum
Rock layer or bedrock underneath the organism
Taxis
Movement of the whole organism in response to a stimulus, can be + or -
Thigmotropism
Growth in response to contact
Transact
Cross-section of an area
Tropism
A growth response from a unidirectional stimulus
Turgor
Firm or ridged state of a plant cell cute by the pressure of the water within it
Vascular
Relates to having specialised conducting or transport tissues
Vernalisation
Flower signalled after a period of cold
Xeromorphic
Used to describe plants that are adapted to survive in dry conditions
Zonation
Horizontal differences in abiotic factors that give rise to distinctive zones
Abiotic factors
Non biologists factors such as wind, light or acidity
Hydrophytes
live partially or fully submerged in water
Halophytes
salt tolerant species found in coastal and salt marsh environments
Xerophytes
arid adapted species found in hot and cold deserts.
Insectivorous plants
Plants that acquire extra nutrients through capturing and digesting insects
Auxin/ indoleacetic acid (IAA)
A hormone that is produced at the tip of the plant, defuses down the stem and causes cell elongation (it’s usually occurs in small amounts)
Cytokinins
Promotes cell division and differentiation in growing tips, roots and fruits.
Gibberellins
Promote overall growth of cells, this is done through elongation and division. It is done in the innate seeds germination, flowering and fruit enlargement
Abscisic acid
Acts as an inhibitor to close stomata in times of water stress, seed dormancy, and bud dormancy in winter.
Aestivation
Dormancy brought on by period of drought
Autonomic nervous system
A branch of the peripheral nervous system, involved with the automatic functions of the body.
Conduction
Transfer of heat energy from a relatively hot object to a cool object by contact
Convection
The transfer of heat energy by means of rising of currents of water and air
Countercurrent
A current that flows In the opposite direction of another current
Cranium
Bony skull
Diapause
Temporary suspension of bodily growth in response to aversive conditions
Ductless gland
A gland that secretes directly into the bloodstream
Ectothermic
An animal that depends on a external heat source
Effector
Something that carries out a response from a stimulus
Endothermic
Animals that maintain a regular body temp through metabolic activity
Evaporation
A process by which water changes to gaseous from
Feedback mechanism
A mechanism in which the output or response effects the input or stimulus
Glomerular filtrate
Fluid filtered by the glomerulus of the kedneys
Hibernate
A period of dormancy over long periods of cold
Homeostasis
The maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment
Homeothermic
Related the ability to maintain a relatively constant body temperature
Hypertonic
Has high solute consternation compare to a hypotonic solution
Hypotonic
Has low solute consternation compare to a hypertonic solution
Impulse
Electrical signals that travel along a neuron
Isotonic
A solution that has an equal consecration compared to another solution
Low critical temperature
The external temperature at which metabolic activity begins to rise, there by increasing the output of heat
Motor neuron
A neuron that transmits nerve impulses from the central nervous system
Myelin
A sheath of fatty tissue that wraps around a nerve cells, enabling them to transmit impulses
Neurotransmitter
Chemicals that transmit messages across the synapse
Osmoconformer
An organism for which the internal concentrations match the external
Osmoregulation
The process by which osmosis is done by the body to regulate the water in the body
Osmoregulator
An organism that has specialised mechanisms for regulation concentration of internal solutions despite differences in external ones
Pokliothermic
An organism who’s body temperature changes with its environment
Radiation
Transfer of heat by inferred waves
Receptor
A structure that detects or receives a stimulus
Reflex arc
A neural pathway in which an impulse will travel to the spine then to the effector also to the brain
Sensory neuron
A neuron that receives messages from the receptor and sends the to the CNS
Somatic nervous system
Part of the PNS associated with voluntary control
Stimulus
Condition that causes a response
Stimulus response
Relates to an mechanism in which stimulus or signal cause a response
Synapse
Gap between nerve ends
Upper critical temperature
The temperature at which the bodies cooling mechanisms fail to keep the body temp stable and the metabolic rate increases, with rise in external temperature that can lead to hyperthermia
Adaptive values
A behaviour that increase the chance of survival of the individual or group
Biological clock
An internal mechanism by which many plants or animal are able to keep a sense of time
Chemical signals
Signal transmitted by the release of specific chemicals such as pheromones
Circadian
Describes a daily or 24 rhythm
Diurnal
Describes animals active at night
Nocturnal
Describes an animal active at night
Crepuscular
Describes an animals active during dusk(start if night) or dawn(start of day)
Ethology
The study of animal behaviour, a person who does this is an ethnologist
Anthropocentric
The belief that human beings are the central or most significant species
What is advantages to living in groups?
Persecution of threat is greater Higher chance of survival Lesser chance of being singled out Greater ease to find mate Greater output of food from teamwork Fending of predators Hunting in a pack Heat distribution and maintenance
What is disadvantages to living in groups
Food can be lesser
Competition for food, dominance, or mates
What are the three types of inter and infraspecific communication
Acoustic
Chemical
Visual
What are the three patterns of activity?
Diurnal
Nocturnal
Crepuscular
Acoustic communication
Any sound that can induce behaviour changes
Chemical communication
Any odour, pheromone or external hormone that can induce behaviour
Visual communication
Any action, gesture or movement that can induce a behaviour
Innate behaviour
Any genetically programmed response to a stimulus
Pheromones
A chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal the can effect behaviour or physiology of that species
What are the two types of communication?
Infraspecific
Interspecific
Interspecific communication
Occurring between individuals of different species
Infraspecific communication
Occurring between members of the same species
Dominance hierarchy
A social model, set up by members of a species confronting each other in some way the proves their superiority. This system has individuals as superior (dominant) or inferior (submissive)
Submissive behaviour/displays
A behaviour generally as a result of dominance or aggression that involves a willingness to conform to an authority
Aggressive behaviour/displays
A behaviour that generally edicts submissive behaviour from the animals toward which it is directed.
Sexual dimorphism
Physical signs,min lauding behaviour, that gives indication of gender and gender status(hierarchy)
Territory
An area of land defended by an Animal or group of animals against others of the same sex or gender
Migration
The seasonal movement of while communities or part of communities
What are the reproductive behaviours
Courtship
Parenting
Courtship
Ensure that right individuals mate with each other
Parenting
Behaviour that appears the development of the young until they can fight for them selves
Learnt behaviour
Behaviour that changes depending on experience, and trial and error
Habituation
A from learning where an organism learns to stop responding to a stimulus that is no longer biologically relevant
