Glossary Flashcards
imprinting
tendency for an animal
to follow (parent) or associate with a object
is sees during… a sensitive period… in early in life
Innate Behaviour
Any behaviour that is not learnt
Trial and error
type of learning where
a animal carries out a certain behaviour and remembering the attempt and result
changes its behaviour in order to
improve the chance of success
Nocturnal
active at night
Territorial
Animal behaviour involving the defining of a territory (or area)
and its defence against other animals
especially against its own species and gender
Salinity
Increased levels of salt (largely sodium chloride) in water or soil
Biotic
Relating to the biological parts of the environment
Abiotic
Relating to the physical parts of the environment
Community
All the living organisms in a habitat;
the living part of the ecosystem
Ecosystem
System formed by organisms interacting with one another and their physical environment
Biogeochemical Cycle
Circulation of a chemical element,
such as phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen, or molecule water
within an ecosystem
Carbon fixation
Process by which photosynthetic organisms
such as plant
turn inorganic carbon (usually carbon dioxide) into organic compounds (carbohydras)
Food Chain
Organisms linked together by their feeding relationships
e.g producers are eaten by first order consumes.. which are then eaten by second order consumers.
Food Web
A series of interacting food chains link up to form a food web
Producer
Organism that manufactures its own food
Detritivores
Consumer organism (earthworm)
eats dead organic matter
which accumulates In ecosystem
Decomposers
Organism whose ecological function
involves the recycling of nutrients
by feeding on dead and decaying organism
Bioaccumulation
Concentration of substances (toxins)
along food chains
in ecosystems
Biomagnification
Process where the tissue concentration
of a contaminant
increases
as it passes up the food chain through two or more trophic levels
Cellular Respiration
Glucose + Oxygen —> water + carbon dioxide + energy
-complete breakdown of glucose to provide energy
-Second aerobic stage
which occurs in the mitochondria
and produces 36-38 molecules of ATP
per molecule of glucose.
Nerve
whitish and elastic bundle of fibres with accompanying tissues which transmits nervous impulses between nerve centres and various parts of the body
Hormone
Chemical produced by cells in one part of an organism
and
transported throughout the organism
to sites where it affects cells capable of responding
Osmoregulation
maintenance of constant osmotic pressure in the fluids of an organism
by the control of water and salt concentrations
Nitrogenous Wastes
waste products from
the breakdown of proteins
includes ammonia, urea and uric acid
Vasoconstriction
constriction of blood vessels
which increases blood pressure
Negative Feed back
control system where, response produced due to particular stimulus reduces the size of the original disturbance leads to homeostasis
Homeostasis
maintenance of a relatively stable environment within an organism
Blubber
the fat of sea mammals, especially wales and seals
Endothermic
in animals
having relatively constant body temperature
usually higher than the temperature of surrounding environment
ADH
Antidiuretic Hormone
secreted by pituitary gland
increases permeability of the collecting tubule of the mammalian kidney to water
increases amount of water reabsorbed, and so causes a smaller volume of more concentrated urine to be formed.
Insulin
hormone produced in pancreas
regulates the amount of glucose in blood
Adrenalin
secreted by adrenal glands
increases rates of blood circulation, breathing, carbohydrate metabolism
prepares muscles for exertion .
( also known as epinephrine)
nephrons
functional unit of the kidney
made of bowman’s capsules
surrounding a glomerulus and a tubular region
heading into a collecting tubule
about one million found in each human kidney
Loop of Henle
U- shaped loop in a mammalian kidney
between the proximal and distal convoluted tubules,
dipping into the medulla
Behavioural adaptations
behaviour organisms use in order to survive
Structural adaptations
involves some part of the animals body, such as the size or shape of the teeth in order to ensure its survival
myelin Sheath
fatty substance
forms an insulating layer around some axons in vertebrates.
formed by many layers of plasma membrane of glial cells
Stimulus
Environmental factor..internal or external
that organisms can detect and to which they respond
Effect
a change, which is a result or consequence of an actin or other cause
Neurotransmitter
chemical substance which is released at the end of a nerve fibre
by the animal of a nerve impulse and by diffusion along the synapse or junction, effects the transfer of the impulse to another nerve, muscle or another fibre.
Phototropism
orientation of a plant or other organism in response to light
either towards the source of light ( positive phototropism)
or away from light (negative tropism)
Geotropism
change in direction of plant growth in response to gravity
parasite
specialised consumers, that live and feed inside or on the other organism
Predator
Animal that catches live prey for food
Prey
animals captured and killed by other organisms
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship between two species, whee one benefits and the other is neither harmed or benefits
Symbiotic
interactions between two different organism living in close physical association
Mutualism
Partnership between two organism in which both of them benefit
Migration
movement of animal ( or group) from one area to another in response to a change in the availability of resources
Population
a group of organism of the same species living in a defined geographic range
Carrying capacity
numbers of particular organisms that an ecosystem can sustain (s-shaoed population)
Endangered
threatened with extinction
Exponential population growth
Rapid increase in the size of a population (J-shaped curve)
Density dependant factors
Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is .. DEPENDANT on the number of individuals in the population
EXAMPLE: Intraspecific Competition
Limited resources
Disease
Density independent Factors
things and events that limit the size of a population regardless of the density of a population.
EXAMPLE: Temperature, Floods, pollution (abiotic factors)
Biological Control
use of a natural agent (another organism) such as predator or parasite to limit and control the growth of a pest species.
Tolerance limit
the maximum and minimum values of a given variable that individuals can tolerate or ‘stand’ while maintaining their normal performance (i.e. all their biological functions).
Imitation
to resemble (another species of animal, or a plant, or inanimate object) in form, colour, ornamentation, or instinctive habits, so as to derive an advantage thereby; sa, when a harmless snake imitates a venomous one in colour and manner, or when an odorless insect imitates, in colour, one having secretion offensive to birds.
Physiological Adaptations
An organismic or systemic response of an individual to a specific external stimulus in order to maintain homeostasis. EXAMPLE temperature regulations
Counter Current Heat Exchange
is a common mechanism in organisms that utilizes parallel pipes of flowing fluid in opposite directions in order to save energy
Thyroxin
Thyroxine is the main hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the thyroid gland. It is the inactive form and most of it is converted to an active form called triiodothyronine by organs such as the liver and kidneys. Thyroid hormones play vital roles in regulating the body’s metabolic rate, heart and digestive functions, muscle control, brain development and maintenance of bones.
