Biology B: Unit 4 Biodiversity

Question 1

abiotic

Answer 1

elements in an ecosystem that have never been alive

Question 2

biodiversity

Answer 2

or biological diversity, the variation among organisms in an ecosystem

Question 3

biodiversity

Answer 3

the collection of different kinds of organisms living in a given area at a given time

Question 4

biodiversity

Answer 4

the variation among organisms in an ecosystem

Question 5

biodiversity

Answer 5

the variety of life within a species, a community, or an ecosystem

Question 6

biome

Answer 6

distinct terrestrial region characterized by its climate and soil conditions and the species of organisms living there

Question 7

biotic

Answer 7

any living or once-living things in an ecosystem

Question 8

botanist

Answer 8

plant scientist

Question 9

carrying capacity

Answer 9

the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an ecosystem can support at a given time

Question 10

common ancestor

Answer 10

an ancestor that two or more descendants hold in common

Question 11

community

Answer 11

members of all species in a given area

Question 12

dichotomous key

Answer 12

a tool that allows its user to classify unknown items. When using a dichotomous key, the user observes the item, and then describes its characteristics using a series of choices with two possible answers. Each choice leads the user to another step in the key, until the item is identified.

Question 13

direct competition

Answer 13

two or more species that require the same resources and need to compete for them

Question 14

ecosystem

Answer 14

all the organisms in a given area, along with the nonliving things with which they interact

Question 15

emigration

Answer 15

the movement of individuals out of an area

Question 16

eukaryotic

Answer 16

a cell that has a defined cellular nucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane

Question 17

homeostasis

Answer 17

living things maintain a stable internal state even when their environment changes

Question 18

homeostasis

Answer 18

the process of an organism maintaining stable internal conditions despite changes to the ecosystem

Question 19

immigration

Answer 19

the movement of individuals into an area

Question 20

intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Answer 20

the hypothesis that moderate levels of disturbance will promote a larger diversity of species over a low or high level of disturbance

Question 21

introduced species

Answer 21

a species not native to an ecosystem, but rather accidentally (or intentionally) transported to the ecosystem by human activity or other means

Question 22

invasive species

Answer 22

an introduced species that now shows an ability to outcompete native species in an ecosystem

Question 23

keystone species

Answer 23

a species on which the other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if the keystone species were removed the ecosystem would change drastically

Question 24

metabolism

Answer 24

processes that occur in an organism that help it to maintain its internal state even when the external environment changes

Question 25

paleontologist

Answer 25

scientist who studies pre-human life

Question 26

phylogenetic tree

Answer 26

a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships between different species that share the same ancestor

Question 27

pioneer species

Answer 27

organisms that are the first to arrive in an ecosystem that has been disrupted

Question 28

population

Answer 28

members of a particular species in a given area at a given time

Question 29

prokaryotic

Answer 29

a cell that does not contain a defined nucleus.

Question 30

species

Answer 30

a group of potentially interbreeding individuals

Question 31

species richness

Answer 31

the number of species in a community

Question 32

systematist

Answer 32

scientist who specializes in taxonomy (otherwise known as taxonomist)

Question 33

taxonomy

Answer 33

the branch of science concerned with naming, classifying, and describing the relationships between all living things on Earth

Question 34

tundra biome

Answer 34

cold, treeless biome in the Arctic, with frozen soil (permafrost) covered by lichens and mosses