Ecology Flashcards
What are molecules?
Groups of atoms
What are cells?
Smallest functional unit of life
What are tissues?
Group of cells that perform a specific function.
What is an organ?
Several types of tissues that function together for a specific purpose.
What is an organ system?
Several organs working together to perform a specific purpose.
What is an organism?
One living individual
What is a population?
Several of the same species living in the same area.
What is Ecology?
The scientific study of the interaction among and between organisms and their surroundings.
What is a community?
Different populations living in the same area
What is an ecosystem?
Community and its nonliving surroundings
What is a biome?
Group of ecosystems that share the same climate and similar dominant communities
What is the biosphere?
Part of Earth in which all life exists
What are producers?
Organisms that make their own food (Autotrophs)
What is the main energy source for life on Earth?
The Sun
What are the main autotrophs on land?
Plants
What are the main autotrophs in water?
Algae
What is chemosynthesis?
Using chemical energy, from inorganic compounds, to produce carbohydrates.
What are Herbivores?
Animals that only eat plants
What are Carnivores?
Animals that only eat animals
What are Omnivores?
Animals that eat both plants and animals
What are Detritivores?
Animals that eat dead plant and animal remains
Energy flows through an ecosystem in _____ direction.
One
What is a series of steps where organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten?
A Food Chain
What links all food chains in an ecosystem together?
Food Web
What is the term for each step in a food chain or food web?
Tropic Level
Only ___ percent of the energy available in one tropic level is transferred to organisms at the next level.
10%
What are the biological influences in an ecosystem?
Biotic Factors
