biology topic 7 Flashcards
why do animals have adaptations
enable them to survive the conditions in which they normally live.
what can adaptations be
behavioural (actions an organisms takes) - migration
structural (how an organism is built) – fur, hair
functional (how the organism works) – produces more or less
urine depending on water availability
give some features that would make an environment extreme
high temperature, pressure or salt concentration.
what are extremophiles
organisms adapted to surviving in extreme conditions as they have enzymes
adapted for survival in these extreme environments
what do Plants in a community or
habitat compete with each other for
Light
Space
Water and mineral ions from the soil
what do Animals in a community often compete with each other for
Food
Mates
Territory
what are abiotic factors
non-living factors
what are biotic factors
living factors
what are examples of abiotic factors that effect a community
Light Intensity
Temperature
Carbon dioxide levels for plants
Oxygen levels for aquatic animals
what are Biotic factors
which can affect a community
New predators
Low food availability
New pathogens
One species outcompeting
another
describe how you would do a quadrats practical
1) quadrat placed randomly in field - randomly generate a coordinate grid for the field
2) repeat 10 times
3) count number of organisms in each quadrat
4) use number of organisms, area of quadrant and area of field to estimate population
describe how you would do a transects practical
1) place a [30-m] tape measure across field
2) place quadrats next to the tape
3) count number of plants in every quadrat
4) repeat every 2 meters
increase precision - do it every metre
increase accuracy - repeat and calculate mean
describe the carbon cycle
1) plants photosynthesise
photosynthesis takes in CO2
plants use carbon dioxide to make carbohydrate / protein / fat / organic
compounds / named (e.g. enzymes / cellulose)
2) plants respire
animals respire
respiration releases CO2
3) plants and animals die
Microorganisms enzymes decay / decompose dead organisms
microorganisms respire to release CO2
4) Dead organisms form fossil fuels over millions of years
Fossil fuels burnt to release CO2
describe nitrogen recycling
Decay microorganisms release nitrate ions into the soil
nitrate ions taken in by roots
using active transport
to make amino acids / proteins
describe the water cycle
Water evaporates from the surface of the sea. Heat from the sun speeds up this process and so does the wind. Water vapour in the atmosphere cools down and condenses to form billions of tiny water droplets. Some of the droplets join together and fall as rain.
what are the best conditions for decay
Water
Oxygen
Warmth
Microorganisms called decomposers - these are bacteria or fungi.
describe the decay practical
Get 2 boiling tubes containing 20ml milk and 5cm3 lipase
Add five drops of the Cresol red and 5cm3 sodium carbonate solution to the milk tube. The solution
should be purple
Put both tubes in a water bath at 10⁰C
Wait until the contents reach the same temperature as the water bath.
Transfer 1cm3 of lipase from the ‘lipase’ tube to the ‘milk’ tube.
Immediately start the stopwatch
Stir the contents of the ‘milk’ boiling tube until the solution turns yellow.
Record the time taken for the colour to change to yellow, in seconds.
Repeat the investigation for different temperatures of water bath.
Explanation
Lipase breaks down fats in milk into glycerol and fatty ACIDS. Cresol red is purple in alkali, yellow in acid
what do Biogas generators do
anaerobically digest waste biological material and produce methane.
what can methane gas be used as
fule
what changes may occur due to environmental changes
seasonal e.g. migration of wildebeast
geographic e.g. coastal soil is more salty
caused by human interaction e.g.
introduction of a new predator to an area or buildings.
what is biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on
Earth, or within an ecosystem.
why is biodiversity important
A high biodiversity ensures
the stability of ecosystems by
reducing the dependence of
one species on another for
food, shelter and the
maintenance of the physical
environment.
what is interdependence
Species in a community rely on each other for survival
give examples of interdependence
Many flowering plants rely on insects like bees or butterflies for pollination.
Animals or birds may carry plant
seeds away from the parent plant
to reduce competition.