Biology Flashcards

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1
Q

Explain the features of living organisms. Acronym: MRS GREN

A

M: Movement. Can move without being pushed or pulled.
R: Respiration. Release energy from food.
S: Sensitivity. Can sense its environment.

G: Growth. Gets larger - at some stage of life.
R: Reproduction. Can reproduce.
E: Excretion. Gets rid of waste.
N: Nutrition. Take in food or create their own food.

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2
Q

What is a dichotomous key?

A

A dichotomous key is an important scientific tool used to identify different organisms, based on the organism’s observable traits.

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3
Q

How is a dichotomous key used?

A

Dichotomous keys consist of a series of statements with two choices in each step that will lead the users to the correct identification.

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4
Q

What are the seven levels of classification in order. Acronym: KPCOFGS

A

Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

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5
Q

What is taxonomy?

A

The practice of classifying living organisms according to their presumed natural relationships.

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6
Q

As you move through the levels of classification from Kingdom towards Species, organisms______in similarity and _____ in numbers.

A

Increase in similarity and decrease in numbers. Groups within the hierarchy get smaller, and they have more features in common.

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7
Q

The scientific name for an organism comes from which two levels of the classification hierarchy?

A

Genus and species. E.g. genus - homo, species - sapiens = Homo sapiens. *When writing scientific names, the genus is written with a capital letter at the start.

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8
Q

Name the five (or six) kingdoms of life.

A

Plantae, fungi, animalia, protista, and montera (or eubacteria, and archaebacteria).

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9
Q

What is the system for scientific naming called?

A

Binomial nomenclature.

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10
Q

What is one thing scientists examine to group organisms into kingdoms?

A

Cells

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11
Q

Describe the cells of living organisms from the plant kingdom.

A

They are brick-like, multi-cellular, and get their energy from the sun through photosynthesis.

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12
Q

Describe the cells of living organisms from the animal kingdom.

A

They are round, multi-cellular, and obtain energy by eating living, or once living, things.

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13
Q

Describe the cells of living organisms from the monera kingdom.

A

They are very simple and small, single-celled (unicellular). They are mostly bacteria.

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14
Q

Describe the cells of living organisms from the protist kingdom.

A

Protists have cells which are both plant like, and animal like. Some get their energy from photosynthesis, and some need to eat other living things. They are unicellular.

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15
Q

Give an example of something from the protist kingdom.

A

Protozoa, algae, amoeba.

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16
Q

Give an example of something from the monera kingdom.

A

Bacteria, cyanobacteria.

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17
Q

Describe the cells of living organisms from the fungi kingdom.

A

They can be made of one cell or many cells - i.e. they can be multi-cellular or unicellular. The organisms get their energy from mostly dead material from other living things.

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18
Q

Give an example of something from the fungi kingdom.

A

Mould, mushrooms, yeast.

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19
Q

What is an abiotic factor?

A

Abiotic factors are non-living parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems. E.G. Water, air quality, the amount of light, temperature…

20
Q

What is a biotic factor?

A

Biotic factors are living components that affect organisms and shape the ecosystem. E.G. Animals, plants, fungi, bacteria protists.

21
Q

What is a biome?

A

A biome is a group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.

22
Q

Population

A

Members of the same species

23
Q

Ecosystem

A

All of the living and non-living things in a location

24
Q

What are the parts of an ecosystem?

A

Biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) parts.

25
Q

Community

A

All of the organisms in a single location

26
Q

Habitat

A

An organism’s natural home/ environment. It holds everything an organism needs to live.

27
Q

invertebrate

A

An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone

28
Q

Vertebrate

A

A vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone and a skeleton.

29
Q

What are the differences between eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells?

A

Prokaryotes
1.They are unicellular.
2.Cell wall is generally present.
3.Nucleus is absent, instead, they possess a nucleoid region in the cell.
4.DNA is Circular.

Eukaryotes
1.Could be either unicellular or multi-cellular.
2.Cell wall can be present or absent.
3.Nucleus is always present.
4.DNA is linear.

30
Q

Competition

A
  • Causes harm to both
  • Fighting over a limited resource
31
Q

Mutualism

A
  • Benefits both organisms
32
Q

Commensalism

A
  • One benefits, the other is not effected
33
Q

Parasitism

A
  • One organism benefits, the other is harmed
  • Parasites try not to kill the host
34
Q

Predation

A
  • One organism eats another
35
Q

Adaptation

A

How an organism has evolved to suit its environment. Over time a population can change (adapt) to its habitat.

36
Q

What is a food web?

A

A food web is a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

37
Q

What are the levels within a food web?

A

Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, apex predators, and decomposers.

38
Q

What is a food chain?

A

A series of organisms each dependent on the next in the chain as a source of food.

39
Q

Why are plants and animals in separate kingdoms?

A

Plants and animals are placed in different kingdoms due to their distinct cell structures, modes of nutrition, mobility, reproduction, body structures, and evolutionary histories.

40
Q

What characteristics do plants and fungi have in common?

A

Both fungi and plants are eukaryotes. They do not show any movement or locomotion. Also, both plants and fungi have membrane-bound nuclei.

41
Q

Why are plants and fungi in different kingdoms?

A

Plants are producers, using the energy of the sun to make seeds, cones, and spores to reproduce, while fungi are decomposers that break down decaying matter.

42
Q

What is a heterotroph?

A

An organism that eats other plants or animals for energy.

43
Q

What is an autotroph?

A

An organism that can produce its own food using light.

44
Q

What is a nucleus?

A

The membrane-enclosed organelle within a cell that contains the chromosomes.

45
Q

What are decomposers? Provide examples.

A

Organisms that decompose organic material. Some examples of decomposers are: fungi, bacteria, invertebrates.