biology - life on earth Flashcards
how many habitats and organisms are there
there is lots of different
habitats and each has different organisms living in it
give examples of habitats
river
forrest
desert
what organisms are present in a river
pondweed, lily pads, algae, tadpoles, trout, water beetles
and frogs
what organisms are present in a forrest
trees, grass, ferns, mushrooms, deer, birds, foxes, owls
what organisms are present in a desert
cacti, camels, desert rats
biodiversity differs from…
biodiversity differs from habitat to habitat because organisms are adapted to live in
particular areas
give an example of an animal adapted to its habitat
polar bears would only be found in cold places not in the desert
this is because it has thick fur to keep it warm
camels have long eyelashes to stop sand entering its eyes
what is the importance of biodiversity
A variety of different food sources are available
Medicinal plants are maintained whilst new species with beneficial effects
are discovered
Raw materials: wood, cotton etc are maintained
what are biotic factors
biotic factors are factors which are related to living things
give examples of biotic factors
predation competition for resources disease food availability grazing
what are abiotic factors
abiotic factors are non-living conditions which can influence where plants or
animals live
give examples of abiotic factors
temperature
light intensity
moisture content of soil
pH of the environment
what is used to sample plants and slow moving animals
a quadrat
what is a quadrat
a metal frame of a known area split into even sections
about quadrats
quadrats should be placed randomly so that a representative sample is
taken
the results are more reliable when you look at the results from many
quadrats
quadrats of a suitable size and shape should be selected
what is used to sample animals
pitfall trap
what is a pitfall trap
pitfall traps are often used to
sample the small invertebrates living on the ground
you are likely to trap beetles and other insects as well as spiders and slugs
how to use and set up a pitfall trap properly
the top of the plastic cup should be level with the soil surface
cover the trap with a stone or piece of wood to keep out the rain, to make
it dark and to stop birds eating your catch
the traps must be checked often to avoid the animals escaping or being
eaten before they are counted
as with most methods a large number of traps makes results more
reliable and minimises the effects of unusual results
what is used to measure light intensity
light meter
how do you measure light intensity
The meter is held at the
soil surface and pointed in the direction of the maximum light intensity, then the meter is read. Errors can be made when measuring light intensity by accidentally shading the light meter. Results can be made more reliable by
taking many samples
what is used to measure the moisture of the soil
moisture meter
what is used to measure the pH of soil
pH meter
how are moisture meter and pH meter used
by pushing the probe into the soil and read the meter
the probe must be cleaned between readings
how do you increase reliability
repeat and obtain an average to increase reliability
what does repeating do
repeat and obtain an average to increase reliability
what does mrs gren stand for
movement respiration sensitivity growth reproduction exeration nutrients
living things can all be sorted into…
large groups called kingdoms
give examples of kingdoms
animal plant bacteria fungus protist
what are flowering plants
plants that produce flowers
what are non-flowering plants
plants that do not produce flowers
give examples of flowering plants
primrose
poppy
orchid
oak tree
give examples of non-flowering plants
moss
algae
fern
seaweed
what is a biological key used for
to identify organisms
what is sampling
sampling is when the number of the organisms within the sample taken can be used to estimate the total number of the organisms within an ecosystem
what should you do to make procedures fair
small samples must be taken
what is an organism
a living thing
How do plants and animals interact
The sun is the source of all energy organisms use.
All food chains start with plants that use sunlight to make their own food.
What are herbivore?
Animals which eat only plants
What are carnivores?
Carnivores are animals which only eat meat.
What are omnivores
Omnivores are animals that eat both plant and meat
What is photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use light energy from the sun to make food
What makes a plant green
Chlorophyll
What do roots do
Roots absorb water
Where does carbon dioxide enter
Carbon dioxide enters through the stomata of the leaf
What is chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green chemical found in the cells of plant leaves. It absorbs light energy and makes the plant have its green colour
What do plants use energy for
Plants combine carbon dioxide and water to create a chemical called glucose (carbohydrates).
During their reaction oxygen is released
What does a plant need
Water which is absorbed through the roots
Light
Carbon dioxide which enters through the stomata of the leaves
What does a plant produce
Oxygen which is released into the air
Sugar (glucose) which is converted into starch
What is a organism made by
An organism is made by cells
What do animals and plants consist of
Cells
What is a ecosystem
A ecosystem is a community consisting of animals, plants, micro organisms and living things and their shared environment.
What is a habitat
Habitat refers to the home(living environment) Of an organism. A habitat provides the essential conditions that support the survival of the organism e.g shelter , water ,food and space
What is a environment
An environment refers to all the physical conditions found where an organism lives.
photosynthesis equation
Carbon dioxide + water = Glucose + oxygen
This needs light energy and chlorophyll to do the process
Carbon dioxide and water are both raw materials
Glucose + oxygen are both products
What is population
Population refers to all the members of a single species that live in a habitat.
What is a community
Community refers to all the populations of different organisms that live together in a habitat.
What is an adaptation
An adaptation refers to features an organism has developed to increase its chances of surviving and/or reproducing
what is tree batting
when you hit a tree then see how many bugs fall off
What is behavioural adaptation
Behavioural - responses made by an organism that help it to survive/reproduce.
What are the adaptations
Physiological,behavioural and structural
What is a physiological adaptation
Physiological - a body process that helps an organism to survive/reproduce.
What is Structural adaptation
Structural - a feature of an organism’s body that helps it to survive/reproduce.
