Chapter 2 Flashcards
What is ecology?
Study of relationship between environment and organism and more specifically balance between their relationship
What is a population?
Consists of all the members of a species living in a given area at the same time
What is a community?
All of the populations of organisms living and interacting in a particular area
What is an ecosystem?
Composed of a biological community and its physical environment
What is a system?
A network of interdependent components and process with materials and energy flowing from one component of the system to another
Why is the idea of systems useful?
Because it helps us organize our thoughts about the inconceivable complex phenomena around us
In what three distinct state does the matter exist?
Solid
Liquid
Gas
What is matter?
Anything that takes up space and has mass
The principle of conservation of mater states what?
Under ordinary circumstances, matter is neither created nor destroyed but rather is recycled
Can matter be transformed or recombined?
Yes
What is carbon?
A special element because chains and rings of carbon atoms form skeletons of organic compounds
What are the four major categories of organic compounds in living things?
Lipids
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Nucleic acids
What are lipids?
Store energy for cells and provide the core of cell membranes and other structures
What are carbohydrates?
Store energy and provide structure to cells
They usually consist of of a long chains of simple sugars like glucose
What are proteins?
Composed of chains of amino acids folded into complex 3-d shapes
Proteins provide structure to cells and are used for countless cell functions
What are nucleotides?
Complex molecules made of 5-carbon sugar, one or more phosphate groups and a nitrogen-containing base
Who are the primary producers?
Plants
What is chemosynthesis?
A process which allows to extract energy from inorganic chemical compounds such as hydrogen sulfide
How is a food web formed?
When individual food chains become interconnected
What is a trophic level?
An organisms feeding status in an ecosystem
Han do primary producers or autotrophs feed themselves?
Using only sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and minerals
What do consumers or heterotrophs feed on?
Chemical energy harnessed by the primary producers
Who are herbivores?
Consumer who are plant eaters
Who are carnivores?
Flesh eaters
