B4.1 Flashcards
Adaptation to Environment
1
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is a Habitat?
A
- A place where organisms live. Would include the physical conditions –> climate, the type of ecosystem, where specifically within the ecosystem it resides.
- Can be described for a single organism –> however often used in reference to a population/ group of organisms of one species in that area.
2
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What are Abiotic Factors?
A
- Non-living materials, such as air, water and ground conditions (soil and rock).
- Refers to conditions of these materials, such as temperature, water salinity or pH, amount of rainfall or sun exposed.
- Generally speaking, these factors have more impact at their extremes and in more extreme environments.
3
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is an Adaptation?
A
- A feature of an organisms that allows it to be more succesful at surving/ reproducing in its specific environment.
- They are genetic in nature, meaning that something in the organisms’s DNA gives it that feature.
- To be considered an adaptation, it must provide it with some sort of ADVNATAGE not held by those without it.
- whether this variation is advantageous will depend on the environment.
4
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is an ecosystem?
A
- Includes the biotic (living) and abiotic components of an area.
- Includes the organisms that are present and the web of interactions between them.
- Due to abiotic factors also being a component, ecosystems are characterised by their climate/air/soil conditions.
5
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is a species?
A
- A group of the same type of organism –> ‘a group of organisms which are able to successfully reproduce to create fertile offspring’.
- Members of a species living in one specific area/habitat—> population.
- Community –> groups of different populations.
- Ecosystem –> community and the environment.
6
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is meant by species distribution?
A
- An indication of where a particular species lives, usually shown on a map with a key –> gives indication of where it is most abundant.
7
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is a limiting factor?
A
- Any abiotic factor that determines the disctributon of a living organsism.
- Any factor that at extremes prevents a species from living in certain habitats.
—> Any factor that is outside the tolerance range of an organism.
8
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors of Habitats
What is a range of tolerance?
A
- Marked as the area between the two extremes for an abiotic factor that can still accommodate succesful habitation for that species.
9
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors or Habitats
Types of ADAPTATIONS:
A
- Structural adaptations
- Inherited changes in the outward appearance of an organism or a structural change to a body part.
- Be visable features that change the appearance of part of the organism.
10
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors or Habitats
Types of Adaptations: CHEMICAL
A
- Physiological Adaptations
- Biological changes at a celluar level or functional changes to an internal process.
- The organisms will not necessarily appear differently but will internally operate differently
11
Q
Adaptations for Abiotic Factors or Habitats
Types of Adaptations: BEHAVIOURAL
A
- Learned or innate actions of an organism that aid in its survival or attraction of mate.
- Defined as actions, implies that behavioural adaptations are generally only seen in animals.
- Defined as beneficial response to environmental stimjli, some plant growth responses could qualify (through generally classified as a chemical.)
12
Q
Data-Logging and Coral Reef Abiotic Conditions
What is a TRANSECT?
A
- A scaled line that is laid along the entire length of an area being measured.
- Used to determine species distribution in an area, particularly an area with variation in an abiotic factor.
13
Q
Data-Logging and Coral Reef Abiotic Conditions
Types of Transects: LINE INTERCEPT TRANSECT
A
- A scaled tape is laid along the ground between the two poles and all organisms that touch/ visably present at the line recorded.
- Only the area right at the line is considerd which is a limitation of this method.
- Comparatively easy to conduct.
14
Q
Data-Logging and Coral Reef Abiotic Conditions
Types of Transects: BELT TRANSECT
A
- The abundance of species is estimated in the area between two lines seperated by a fixed distance.
- Generally done by placing quadrants between the two lines at regular intervals and counting organisms that fall in the quadrant.
- Provides more accurte information but is also more time consuming.
15
Q
Data-Logging and Coral Reef Abiotic Conditions
Types of Transects: OBSERVATIONAL TRANSECT
A
- Less precise form of transecting
- Observer walks along a defined route at a defined pace –> records sightings of target species.
- Less accurate and prone to error but in some cases with uneven terrains it is the only way –> gathers information.
16
Q
Biomes
What is a Biome?
A
- A biome is defined as groups of ecosystems that resemble each other, even though they may be widely seperated in the world.
- They resemble one another because they share similar abiotic and biotic factors. —> the similar abiotic factors MEAN that similar biotic organisms are able to thrive there.
17
Q
Biomes
The Tropical Rainforest
A
- Characterised by high temperatures, high precipation, lots of sunlight and minimal seasonal variation.
18
Q
Biomes
The Temperate Forest
A
- Characterized by medium/ moderate temperatures, medium to high precipitation, medium amounts of sunlight and warm summers but cold winters.
19
Q
Biomes
The Taiga
A
(boreal forest)
- Characterized by low cold temperatures, medium to high precipitation, medium to high precipitation, low to medium amount amount of sunlight and short summers and long, cold winters.
20
Q
Biomes
The Dessert
A
- Characterized by high temperatures, very low precipition, high amount of sunlight and minimal seasonal variation.
21
Q
Biomes
The Grasslands
A
- Characterized by medium to high temperaturs, medium precipation, medium to high amount of sunlight and distinct seasonal variations with a dry season or cold season.
22
Q
Biomes
The Tundra
A
- Characterized by very low temperatures, medium to low precipitation, low sunlight and very short summers and a very long cold winter.
23
Q
Modes of Nutrition
What are Obligate Aerobes?
A
- All living organisms must ATP which is celluar energy.
- Done through celluar respiration, which usually uses oxegyn (aerobic respiration) but can be done by some organisms in the absence of oxeygen as well (anaerobic respiration.)
23
Q
Biomes
What is Convergent Evolution?
A
- When distantly related species that face the same environmental challenges develop similar adaptations to best survive in their environment .
- Organisms become physically similar despite a lack of common ancestry.
- As they are driven by the same environmental challenges —> explains why organisms found in the same biome (even far apart) have similar physical characteristics.
24
# Modes of Nutrition
Energy Makers:
What are Obligate Aerboes?
- All living organisms must create ATP which is cellular energy --> Done through celluar respiration, usually uses oxygen (aerobic respiration), but can be done by some organisms in the absence of oxygen as well (anaerobic respiration.)
- Obligate aerobes require oxygen to make ATP and without it will die.
- Not able to perform anaeribic respiration suffienctly for survival so are only found in environments with sufficient oxygen.
25
# Modes of Nutrition
Energy Makers:
What are Obligate Anaerobes?
- Do not require oxgyen (they produce ATP purely through anaerobic means), and are actually killed or inhibited/poisoned by the presece of oxygen.
- EG: Archae --> ancient prokaryotic organisms
- Therefore only found in environments lacking oxygen --> deep in the ocean/ guts of animals.
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# Modes of Nutrition
Energy Makers:
What are faculative aerobes?
- Organisms that can easily switch between aerobic and anaerobic respiration and, either is sufficient to meet their energy demands for celluar respiration to make ATP.
- Thus, they can live happily in any environment regardless of the oxegyn supply (EG: Yeast)
27
# Modes of Nutrition
Autotrophs vs Heterotrophs
- All living organisms need carbon based food source (carbohydrates) --> which will be converted into energy.
- Autotrophs make their own carbon compounds (glucose) from simple substances such as CO2.
- Heterotrophs must obtain carbon compounds from other living organisms.
Autotrophs are producers who make their own food.
Heterotrophs are consumers who feed to get food.
28
# Modes of Nutrition
Types of Nutrition:
Holozoic
- This is a form of heterotrophy. In this case, whole pieces of food are swallowed before being fully digested.
- Digestion occurs inside the digestive tract inside the organism.
- How animals consume food but also used by some simpler organisms --> amoeba.
29
# Modes of Nutrition
Types of Nutrition:
Mixtrophic
- Mixotrophs have the ability to act as a heterotroph (particularly when prey is available and light is scattered) or act as an autotroph (which light is sufficient and prey not necessarily abundant)
30
# Modes of Nutrition
Types of Nutrition:
Saprotrophic
- Saprotrophs are heterotrophs that excrete digestive enzymes into the environment, onto dead organic matter, and the matter is externally digested.
- The digested material is then absorbed and directly used.
- DECOMPOSERS.
31
# Modes of Nutrition
What are Archea?
- Archea are prokaryotic unicellular organisms that have distinct features from bacteria. They make up their own domain and are highly diverse in their ways of obtaining nutrition.
* Some are autotrophs and perform a unique form of photosynthesis.
* Some are autotrophs but actually do chemosynthesis where they do not use sunlight but a substance such as ion or sulphur.
* Some are heterotrophs that rely on obtaining food from other organsisms.
32
# Adaptations for Nutrition
What makes up the family Hominidae?
- A family is a group of organisms of different genera (different genus) that are grouped then into the same family (and therefore the same order, class, phylum, and kingdom.)
- The family homidae contains the following genera: Genus Homo (humans), Genus Pongo (orangtauns), genus Gorilla, (gorillas), and Genus Pan (chimpanzees.)
33
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Mammalian Teeth: Incisor
- Incisor are front teeth, used for cutting off bite-sized pieces of food and tend to be enlarged in herbivores.
34
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Mammalian Teeth: Caine
- Caines are to the side of incisors, sharp and are used for ripping and tearing tougher materials such as meat.
- Therefore they are most prominent in carnivores and omnivores.
35
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Mammalian Teeth: Premolar
- Premolars are in the middle of the mouth, used to crush or slice up food.
- Can be structurally different and tend to be more narrow and pointed in carnivores and rounded and blunt in herbivores.
36
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Mammalian Teeth Molar
- Back teeth,
- Most present in herbivores and omnivores where they are blunt and used for grinding/ chewing plant material.
37
# Adaptations for Nutrition
What is herbivory?
- feeding upon plants.
- used instead of predation for herbivores.
38
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Types of Forest Plants - LIANAS.
- Vines that take root on the forest floor, then use trees as a scaffold, allowing them to grow up into the canopy to better access sunlight.
39
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Types of Forest Plants: EPIPHYTES
- Grow directly on trees in order to access more sunlight but lack roots in the soil.
- EX: is orchids.
40
# Adaptations for Nutrition
Types of Forest Plants - HERBACEOUS PLANTS
- Do not produce a woody stem with bark.
- Many flowering plants are herbaceous plants.
