Ecosystms Flashcards
Niche
A comfortable or suitable position in life.
e.g. The environment
Biotic
Biotic factors are factors in the ecosystem that are living
Abiotic
Abiotic factors in the ecosystem that are living
Preditor
Animals that eat prey
Prey
Animal that are eaten by preditors
Symbiosis
A relationship between two or more organisms
Multrisim
Both organisms benefit
Parasitism
One benefits
One gets hurt
Commensalism
One organism benefits the other doesn’t care
chemosynthetic
describes organisms that produce organic material using energy released from chemical reactions rather than light
food chains
A diagram that shows how the energy stored in one organism is passed to another
food webs
A diagram showing several food chains joined together to demonstrate that animals eat more than one type of food
Trophic level
a level within a food chain, food web or food pyramid
First-order
A organism that is within the second trophic level of a food chain (herbivores); also known as a primary consumer
primary consumers
the first consumer in a food chain; also known as a first-order consumer
second-order
organism that is within the third trophic level of a food chain (carnivores); also known as a secondary consumer
secondary consumers
the second consumer in a food chain; also known as a second-order consumer
energy pyramid
a representation of the level of food energy at each level within a food chain
pyramid of numbers
a representation of the population, or numbers of organisms, at each level within a food chain
pyramid of biomass
a representation of the dry mass of organisms at each level within a food chain
birth rate
the number of organisms within a population that are born within a particular period of time
death rate.
the number of organisms within a population that die within a particular period of time
immigration
the number of individuals moving into an area
emigration
the number of individuals leaving an area
exponential growth.
a rapid increase in number or size, represented by a J-shaped graph
sigmoid
the shape of a graph that shows a population increasing in number then reaching a plateau
steady state
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
plateau phase
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
equilibrium
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
zero population growth
the point at which birth and death rates balance each other out
carrying capacity.
the maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain
Producers
organism at the base of the food chain that does not need to feed on other organisms; also known as an autotroph
Autotroph
A organism that makes its own food
Photosynthesis
the food-making process in plants that takes place in chloroplasts within cells. The process uses carbon dioxide, water and energy from the sun.
Fat
an organic substance that is solid at room temperature and is made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms
Metabolis
: the chemical reactions occurring within an organism that enable the organism to use energy and grow and repair cells
Cellular respiration
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.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP
a form of energy released during cellular respiration that provides cells with the energy needed to perform their functions
Glycolysis
process by which glucose is converted into a simple form, during which energy is released
Cytosol
The fluid found inside cells
Krebs cycle
part of the aerobic respiration process in which carbon dioxide and ATP (energy) are produced
electron transport chain reactions,
part of the aerobic respiration process
Mitochondria
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.
Aerobic respiration
the chemical breakdown of food using oxygen. The reaction needs enzymes, occurs in all body cells and releases energy.
Anaerobic respiration
the chemical breakdown of food without oxygen. The reaction needs enzymes, occurs in cells and releases less energy than aerobic respiration.
Lactic acid
an end product of anaerobic respiration in animals; also known as lactate
lactate
an end product of anaerobic respiration in animals; also known as lactate
Ethanol
an end product of anaerobic respiration in plants; a form of alcohol
