Biodiversity

Question 1

What does biology mean?

Answer 1

It is the study of life

Derived from Greek - Bios (life), logos (to study)

Question 2

Why study biology? (4)

Answer 2

• Medical advances
• Biotechnology advances
• Challenges of decreasing rate of biodiversity
• Addressing needs of growing human population

Question 3

What does biology do? (3)

Answer 3

• Studies characteristics and behaviors of organisms
• Studies the origin and evolution of species
• Studies the interactions of organisms and their environment

Question 4

What are the traits of living things? (8)

ORDERHEG

Answer 4

Order
Growth
Development
Reproduction
Evolutionary adaptation
Energy utilization 
Homeostasis
Response to stimuli

Question 5

What are the levels of organization? (8)

BECPOGM

Answer 5

Biosphere (contains all ecosystems)
Ecosystem (community and its surroundings)
Community (populations that live together in an area)
Populations (group of organisms of one type that live in one area)
Organism (individual living thing)
Groups of cells (tissues, organs, organ systems)
Cells (smallest functional unit of life, organelles)
Molecules

Question 6

Define biodiversity

Answer 6

The variety of different species in an ecosystem, genetic variation within a population of species and variety of kinds of ecosystems

Question 7

Define species

Answer 7

All organisms capable of breeding freely with each other under natural conditions

Question 8

Define hybridization

Answer 8

The cross breeding between 2 different species

Question 9

How are organisms defined by?

Answer 9

Defined by species however those who reproduce asexually are defined by morphology as they are not considered species

Question 10

Define morphology

Answer 10

Physical appearance and characteristics of an organism; the science of the study of these physical characteristics

Question 11

Define evolutionary change

Answer 11

A change that occurs in an entire population usually over a long period of time

Question 12

Define genetic diversity

Answer 12

The genetic variability among organisms; usually referring to individuals of the same species

Species is composed of individuals with different traits like skin color or size while still belonging to the same species

Caused by genetic info from biological parents combining to make a unique individual

Question 13

Define heterotroph

Answer 13

Organism that consumes living or dead organisms for nutrients

Question 14

Define autotroph

Answer 14

Organism that can produce its own nutrients from gases, water, etc.

Question 15

Define species diversity

Answer 15

Measure of diversity in ecosystems, taking into account the variety of species and the quantity of each species present

The more diverse an ecosystem the more stable it will be

Question 16

Define structural diversity

Answer 16

Range of physical shapes and sizes within a habitat or ecosystem

The more diverse, the better chance of survival

Logs on the ground house parasites, large trees house bigger animals and birds

Question 17

What is happening to the diversity of life and what would this mean for humans?

Answer 17

Diversity is decreasing, species are going extinct at an alarming rate (3 species per hour as of 2017)

Would mean lost food supply, loss of natural medicines, economic impact on tourism and forestry, and cause of disruptions in biogeochemical cycles

Question 18

What are the three components of biodiversity?

Answer 18

1. Species diversity (different types of living organisms)
2. Genetic diversity (differences between living organisms within a species; genes create a unique offspring with gives the species the ability to adapt to changing environments)
3. Ecosystem Diversity (the variety of different habitats in a particular area; the more places to live, the more organisms can live there, the more diverse the area, the more stable the ecosystem)

Question 19

Explain how “survival of the fittest” pertains to biodiversity

Answer 19

The more organisms live in an ecosystem, the more likely at least some of the species will survive anything that could wreck the ecosystem

Question 20

Name things that could kill off a species (6)

Answer 20

Disease, new species (invasive), territorial behavior, limited resources, human activities, climate (natural disaster)

Question 21

Why care about biodiversity?

Answer 21

Has intrinsic value (value in and of itself)

Has utilitarian value (value something has a means to an end)

Question 22

What do we get from biodiversity? (7)

Answer 22

Oxygen, food, clean water, medicine, aesthetics, ideas, resistance to environmental stresses and diseases

Question 23

What are some threats to biodiversity? (5)

Answer 23

Habitat destruction
Pollution
Species introductions
Global climate change
Exploitation