Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

Abiotic

A

Non-living organisms

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2
Q

Biotic

A

Living organisms

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3
Q

Niche

A

A comfortable or suitable position in the environment

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4
Q

Parasite

A

an organism which lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.

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5
Q

Host

A

an organism which lives in or on another organism and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.

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6
Q

Ecosystem

A

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

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7
Q

Predator

A

an animal that naturally preys on others.

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8
Q

Prey

A

an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food.

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9
Q

Mutualism

A

symbiosis which is beneficial to both organisms involved.

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10
Q

Commensalism

A

an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm

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11
Q

Symbiosis

A

A relationship between 2 animals

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12
Q

Parasitism

A

One benefits and the other is harmed

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13
Q

Chemosynthetic

A

describes organisms that produce organic material using energy released from chemical reactions rather than light

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14
Q

Food chains

A

diagram that shows how the energy stored in one organism is passed to another

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15
Q

Food web

A

diagram showing several food chains joined together to demonstrate that animals eat more than one type of food

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16
Q

Trophies level

A

a level within a food chain, food web or food pyramid

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17
Q

First order

A

organism that is within the second trophic level of a food chain (herbivores); also known as a primary consumer

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18
Q

Primary consumers

A

the first consumer in a food chain; also known as a first-order consumer

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19
Q

Second order

A

organism that is within the third trophic level of a food chain (carnivores); also known as a secondary consumer

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20
Q

Secondary consumer

A

the second consumer in a food chain; also known as a second-order consumer

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21
Q

Energy pyramid

A

a representation of the level of food energy at each level within a food chain

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22
Q

Pyramid of numbers

A

a representation of the population, or numbers of organisms, at each level within a food chain

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23
Q

Pyramid of biomass

A

a representation of the dry mass of organisms at each level within a food chain

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24
Q

Birth rate

A

the number of organisms within a population that are born within a particular period of time

25
Q

Death rate

A

the number of organisms within a population that die within a particular period of time

26
Q

Immigration

A

the number of individuals moving into an area

27
Q

Emigration

A

the number of individuals leaving an area

28
Q

Exponential growth

A

a rapid increase in number or size, represented by a J-shaped graph

29
Q

Sigmoid

A

the shape of a graph that shows a population increasing in number then reaching a plateau

30
Q

Steady state

A

see equilibrium

31
Q

Plateau phrase

A

see equilibrium

32
Q

Equilibrium

A

a state in which conditions are balanced and there is neither growth nor a decrease in number; also known as steady state or plateau phase

33
Q

Zero population growth

A

the point at which birth and death rates balance each other out

34
Q

Carrying capacity

A

the maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain

35
Q

Producers

A

organism at the base of the food chain that does not need to feed on other organisms; also known as an autotroph

36
Q

Autotrophs

A

Makes its own food

37
Q

Photosynthesis

A

the food-making process in plants that takes place in chloroplasts within cells. The process uses carbon dioxide, water and energy from the sun.

38
Q

Metabolism

A

the chemical reactions occurring within an organism that enable the organism to use energy and grow and repair cells

39
Q

Cellular respiration

A

the chemical reaction involving oxygen that moves the energy in glucose into the compound ATP. The body is able to use the energy contained in ATP.

40
Q

ATP

A

a form of energy released during cellular respiration that provides cells with the energy needed to perform their functions

41
Q

Aerobic respiration

A

the chemical breakdown of food using oxygen. The reaction needs enzymes, occurs in all body cells and releases energy.

42
Q

Glycolysis

A

process by which glucose is converted into a simple form, during which energy is released

43
Q

Cytosol

A

the fluid found inside cells

44
Q

Krebs cycle

A

part of the aerobic respiration process in which carbon dioxide and ATP (energy) are produced

45
Q

Electron transport chain reactions

A

part of the aerobic respiration process

46
Q

Mitochondria

A

small rod-shaped organelles that supply energy to other parts of the cell. They are usually too small to be seen with light microscopes. Singular = mitochondrion.

47
Q

Anaerobic respiration

A

the chemical breakdown of food without oxygen. The reaction needs enzymes, occurs in cells and releases less energy than aerobic respiration.

48
Q

Lactic acid

A

an end product of anaerobic respiration in animals; also known as lactate

49
Q

Lactate

A

See lactic acid

50
Q

Ethanol

A

an end product of anaerobic respiration in plants; a form of alcohol

51
Q

Eutrophication

A

a form of water pollution involving an excess of nutrients such as nitrates and phosphorus, resulting in algal blooms and possible death of fish and other organisms

52
Q

Insecticides

A

a chemical used to kill insects

53
Q

Fungicides

A

a chemical used to kill fungal growth

54
Q

Herbicides

A

a chemical used to kill unwanted plants (weeds)

55
Q

Fumigant

A

a chemical used in the form of smoke or fumes, to kill pests

56
Q

Bioaccumulation

A

magnification of concentrations of a substance such as a nonbiodegradable pesticide along the food chain; also known as biological magnification

57
Q

Biological magnification

A

see bioaccumulation

58
Q

Introduced species

A

an organism that has been released into an ecosystem in which it does not occur naturally