Ch. 3 Vocab Flashcards
Species
the entirety of a population that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Population
a certain number of individuals that make up the interbreeding, reproducing group
Biotic community or biota
is the grouping or assemblage of plants, animals, and microbes
Abiotic
is the nonliving, chemical, and physical factors, such as the amount of water or moisture present, the climate, the salinity, or the type of soil in the area
Ecosystems
a grouping of plants, animals, and microbes occupying an explicit unit of space and interacting with each other and their environment. Ecosystems are functional units of sustainable life on Earth
Ecotone
a transitional area between two adjacent ecosystems that has characteristics of both
Landscapes
a group of interacting ecosystems. Landscape ecology is the science that studies the interactions among ecosystems
Biomes
similar or related ecosystems or landscapes that are often grouped together. (Ex: desert, tropical rain forest, tundra, etc.)
Biosphere
all species and physical factors on Earth functioning as one unified ecosystem
Law of limiting factors
Every species has an optimal range, zones of stress, and limits of tolerance with respect to every abiotic factor
Optimum
a certain level at which the organisms do best
Range of tolerance
the entire span that allows any growth at all
Zones of stress
region between the optimal range and the high or low limits of tolerance
Limiting factor
A factor that limits growth
Habitat
refers to the kind of place where a species is biologically adapted to live
Ecological niche
refers to what the animal feeds on, where it feeds, when it feeds, where it finds shelter, where it nests, and how it responds to abiotic factors
Matter
anything that has mass and occupies space
Atoms
the basic building blocks of all matter
Molecule
consists of two or more atoms bonded together in a specific way
Compound
consists of two or more different kinds of atoms bonded together
Atmosphere
the thin layer of gases
separating Earth from outer space
Hydrosphere
Water
Lithosphere
Earths crust
Mineral
is any hard, crystalline, inorganic material of a given chemical composition
Organic
the chemical compounds making up the tissues of living organisms
Inorganic
refers to all other molecules or compounds (those with neither carbon-carbon nor carbon-hydrogen bonds)
Calorie
the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram (1 mL) of water 1 degree Celsius
Chemical energy
the potential energy contained in such chemicals and fuels
Entropy
is a measure of the degree of disorder in a
system
Heat energy
The lowest from of energy
Oxidation
breakdown of molecules
Fermentation
anaerobic process
Ecology
the study of all processes influencing the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions between living things and their environment
