Ecology Exam 1 Flashcards
Individual
The most fundamental unit of ecology
Species
Individuals that are capable of interbreeding or share genetic similarity
Population
Individuals of the same species living in a particular area
Community
Populations living together in a particular area
Ecosystem
One or more communities of living organisms interacting with their nonliving physical and Chemical environments
Biosphere
All ecosystems on earth
First law of thermodynamics
Matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can change form
Natural selection
Fitness dictates future phenotype
Protists
Eukaryotes that include Protozoa, algae, and slime molds
Producers
Or autotrophs convert chemical energy into resources
Consumers
Or heterotrophs obtain their energy from other organisms
Mixotrophs
Can switch between being producers and consumers
Scavengers
Consume dead animals
Detritivores
Break down dead organic matter
Decomposers
Break down detritus into simpler elements
Predation
When an organism kills and consumes an individual
Parasitism
When one organism lives in or on another organism
Herbivory
When one organism consumes producers
Competition
When two organisms have a negative effect on each other
Mutualism
When two species benefit from each other
Commensalism
When two species has one receive benefit from the other while one is unaffected
Habitat
The place or physical setting where an organism lives
Niche
The range of conditions an organism can tolerate
Manipulative experiments
Where a hypothesis is tested by altering a factor hypothesized to be the cause of a phenomenon
Treatment
The factor that we want to manipulate in a study
Control
A treatment that includes all aspects of an experiment except the factor of interest
Greenhouse gases
Compounds in atmosphere that absorb infrared heat energy then emit some back
Viscosity
The thickness of a fluid that causes objects to encounter resistance
Saturation
The upper limit of solubility in water
Acidity
The concentration of H+ ions in a solution
Low pH is
Acidic
High pH is
Basic
Acid rain
Sulfur and nitrogen dioxide emitted by smokestacks
Solutes
Dissolved substances in water
Semipermeable membranes
Membranes that allow only particular molecules to pass through
Osmosis
Movement of water across a semipermeable membrane
Osmotic potential
The force with which a solution attracts water by osmosis
Osmoregulation
Mechanisms organisms use to maintain a proper solute balance
Countercurrent circulation
Where blood and water flow in opposite directions so O2 concentration is greater in water than blood
Anaerobic environment
An environment devoid of oxygen
Thermophilic
Heat-loving (bacteria)
Thermal pollution
Changing the temperature of an environment with human discharges
Thermal optima
The range of temperatures in which an organism best performs
Glycerol and glycoproteins
Chemicals that prevent freezing by reducing strength of hydrogen bonds or via supercooling
Isozymes
Different forms of an enzyme that catalyze a reaction
Ecology
The scientific study of the abundance and distribution of organisms in relation to other organisms and environmental conditions
water potential
a measure of waters potential energy
matrix potential
the potential energy generated by the attractive forces between water molecules and soil particles
field capacity
the maximum amount of water held by soil against gravity
wilting point
the point plants cant extract more water
salinization
the process of repeated irrigation that causes increased soil salinity
cohesion
the mutual attraction of water molecules
root pressure
when osmotic potential in the roots of a plant draws in water
transpiration
the process by which leaves can generate water potential as water evaporates from leaves
cohesion-tension theory
the mechanism of water movement from roots to leaves due to water cohesion and water tension
stomata
small openings on leaf surfaces bordered by guard cells that open and close it
electromagnetic radiation
energy from the sun in photons
chloroplasts
specialized cell organelles found in eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms
photosynthesis
process of combining CO2, H2O and solar energy to produce glucose
homeostasis
an organisms ability to maintain constant internal conditions
radiation
the emission of electromagnetic energy
conduction
the transfer of the kinetic energy of heat between substances that are in contact
convection
the transfer of heat by movement of liquids and gases
body size and heat
volume increases faster than surface area; large animals lose and gain heat less rapidly than small animals
thermoregulation
the ability of an organism to control the temperature of its body
homeotherms
organisms that maintain constant temperature
poikilotherms
organisms that do not have constant body temperatures
ectotherms
organisms with body temperatures determined by their external environment
endotherms
organisms that can generate metabolic heat to raise body temperature higher than the external environment
weather
the variation in temperature and precipitation over periods of hours or days
climate
the typical atmospheric conditions that occur through the year
phenotypic plasticity
the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple phenotypes
acclimation
environmentally induced change in an individuals psychology
microhabitats
locations within a habitat that differ in environmental conditions from the rest of the habitat
dormancy
condition in which organisms dramatically reduce their metabolic processes
diapause
involves a partial or complete physiological shutdown in response to unfavorable conditions
hibernation
individuals reduce the energetic costs of being active by lowering heart rate and decreasing body temperatures
torpor
a brief period of dormancy
aestivation
shutting down of metabolic processes during summer in hot or dry conditions
