Kevin’s Cards about Organisms and Their Needs Flashcards
What are the 3 challenges of life
Obtaining and Using energy, reproducing, maintaining structure
What are organism’s basic needs
Water, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Food, The right Environment
What happens when plants do not receive enough water
When plants do not receive enough water, its cells, do not keep their shape. They shrink, and the plant wilts
True or False: Water is necessary for physical and chemical processes
True
What must happen to substances that are important for survival before they can be used
Substances that are important for survival must be dissolved in water before they can be used by organisms
How do bacteria obtain water
Bacteria obtain water by allowing individual water molecules to enter through the cell membrane
Why is water important
- Sweating
- Saliva
- Fighting Disease
- Protection
- Oxygen
Why do cells need oxygen
Cells need oxygen for the many chemical reactions taking place in your cells that release energy
What do single-called organisms use to meet their basic needs
Other chemicals other than oxygen
True of False: All organisms can survive in oxygen
False
What is Iron used for in the body
Iron is a material needed to build red blood cells
Adaptation Definition
Something about an organism that allows it to live and reproduce effectively in its particular environment
Why can many organisms survive in places
Many animals can survive in places only because they are able to take shelter from the outside environment
What does offspring need for reproduction to succeed
The offspring needs room to grow
What happens if a person’s internal temperature climbs above 44 degrees
If a person’s internal temperature climbs above 44 degrees, important chemicals in the body are destroyed
When do you shiver and sweat
You sweat when you are too warm and shiver when you are too cold
What are sweating and shivering
Adaptations
If a person gets too hot what happens to the blood flow
More blood flows to the skin
How does sweating cool you down
Sweat glands in the skin produce a solution of mostly water that evaporates through pores at the skin’s surface. Evaporation uses heat energy. Loss of heat from the skin cools the blood, and the cooled blood flows back through the body
How does shivering warm you up
Shivering is a way of getting warm. The muscles used in shivering produce extra heat, and this extra heat will warm you
What happens to blood vessels during shivering
During shivering, blood vessels in the skin constrict. As a result, less blood would loose heat to the air. This conserves body heat
Homeostasis Definition
Maintenance of a stable condition in a system, generally by processes that compensate for changes
Endotherms Definition
An animal that regulates its body temperature by producing heat within its own tissues
Ectotherms Definition
An animal that regulates its body temperature by using heat from the surrounding environment
Where do plants sweat from
Stomata
Stomata Definition
Tiny openings in the leaves of a plant through which the plant takes in and releases gases
What happens to excess water in a paramecium
Excess water in a paramecium is collected in a vacuole called the contractile vacuole. When the vacuole is full, it opens a small pore to the outside and contracts, expelling the water.
How much water do living organisms consist of
Living organisms are about 50% to 90% water
How do humans lose water
Humans lose water through their skin, lungs, kidneys, and intestines
What happens to cells when too much water is lost
When too much water is lost, cells become dehydrated
What makes a thirst response
Certain neurons detect less water in the body. These cells trigger a thirst response in the individual
What makes a hungry response
When someone has not eaten in a while, the amount of sugar in the blood decreases. Certain brain cells detect this change and make the person feel hungry
What happens when the stomach is empty
When the stomach is empty, a person will feel hungry an will want to eat
True or False: Some people are unusually sensitive to certain substances, called allergens
True
What are human nasal passages sensitive to
Human nasal passages are sensitive to certain substances in the air, such as chemicals, dust, or pollen. When sneezing, these are expelled
What happens when people with hay fever are exposed to certain allergens
When people with hay fever are exposed to certain types of allergens in plant pollen, they sneeze, have runny noses, and their eyes water to get it out of their system
What do sunflowers do in response to the moving sun
Sunflowers turn their flowers toward the sun as it moves across the sun
Population Definition
A group of individuals of the same species that exist together at a given place and time
Population Size Definition
The number of individuals in a population
Population Density Definition
The number of individuals of a population in a defined area
What is the Formula for population density
D = n/area where n is the number of individuals and D is the density
Ecologist Definition
A scientist who studies how living things relate to each other and their environments
Exponential Growth Definition
A growth pattern in which a population doubles at regular intervals
What do Ecologists do as a starting point to predict the way a population would grow overtime
As a starting point, ecologists predict the way a population would grow over time if there were nothing to stop its growth. This is shown by exponential growth
Are exponential growth predictions usually true
Exponential growth predictions are rarely true in nature
What are factors that limit the growth of populations
Space, food, nesting places, light, and mates
Carrying Capacity Definition
The maximum size a population that a particular environment can support
What is the difference of the appearance of the data of a graph showing carrying capacity and exponential
The data of a graph showing carrying capacity (s-shaped) is different from exponential growth (j- shaped)
Model Definition
An artificial representation of a real system or process, designed to help understand the structure of behavior of the actual system or process
True or False: Models of populations can be very different from the reality
True
Why are ecological models valuable
Ecological models are valuable because they help scientists predict what will occur in real life
True or False: Populations usually stay constant
False; populations rarely stay constant and instead they often go through cycles of increases and decreases
What usually occurs after an increase in population
A period of rapid decrease usually follows
Community Definition
All of the populations living and interacting within a specific environment
Biome Definition
A large area dominated by the characteristics plants and animals a having a particular climate
At the most general level, what are the 2 kinds of biomes
Aquatic biomes and land biomes
Where is most of the matter from on Earth
Most of the matter on Earth is the same matter present when Earth was formed
What is the basis for all life on Earth
Carbon atoms
What is found in all molecules that make up living organisms- carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids (organic molecules)
Carbon atoms
What are the qualities of carbon
1) Carbon can connect with other atoms including other carbon atoms
2) Carbon can form chains of varying lengths, with varying degrees of branching
3) Carbon can connect to other types of atoms to form a huge variety of molecules
4) Bonds can be changed of broken in chemical reactions, but are strong enough to stay together
Carbon Cycle Definition
The processes that are involved in the flow of carbon through the environment
Where is Carbon Dioxide found
Carbon Dioxide is found in the air and dissolved in water
How do bacteria and algae get food
Bacteria and algae use photosynthesis to make their own food (Cyanobacteria is an example)
When animals eat plants, how does that contribute to the carbon cycle
When animals eat plants, carbon is passed to them and becomes part of the animals’ bodies
When do plants and animals breakdown glucose
Plants and animals breakdown glucose during the process of cellular respiration. In this process, some carbon is returned to the atmosphere as Carbon Dioxide
Cellular Respiration Formula
C6H12O2 + O2 —— CO2 + H2O + energy
How do fossil fuels contribute to the carbon cycle
When fossil fuels and organic matter burn, CO2 is released into the atmosphere
What is the most abundant organic molecules in living things
Proteins
What is a key element in proteins
Nitrogen
Nitrogen Cycle Definition
The processes that are involved in the flow of nitrogen through the environment
What is crucial to the success of the Nitrogen cycle
Bacteria
What percentage of the gasses in the atmosphere does nitrogen gas make up
78%
True of False: Most organisms can use the nitrogen from nitrogen gas
True
True or False: Some types of bacteria can use the nitrogen from nitrogen gas and live on beans, clovers, and peas
True
What is nitrogen fixation
Bacteria chemically combine nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia (NH3). This process is called nitrogen fixation
What is ammonia
Ammonia is a form of nitrogen that plants absorb and use to make proteins
What is ammonia in the soil converted into
Ammonia in the soil is then converted to another form of nitrogen, called nitrate, by nitrifying bacteria
What do plants do with nitrate
Plants can take nitrate from soil and use it to make proteins
What do denitrifying bacteria do
Bacteria, called denitrifying bacteria, convert nitrate back into nitrogen gas
Hydrosphere Definition
The liquid layer of the earth, made up of the earth’s waters; the oceanic parts of the hydrosphere cover about 3/4 of the earth’s surface
Trophic Level Definition
A producing or feeding level in a food chain
What do producers (plants) use glucose for
Producers (Plants) also use glucose as a source of building blocks for other materials that make up their bodies- carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
What is the source of energy for almost all ecosystems
The source of energy for almost all ecosystems is the energy in sunlight
What does glucose contain
Glucose contains stored energy from the sunlight
What do deep-sea vent ecosystems use as their primary source of energy
Deep-sea vent ecosystems do not use the sun as their primary source of energy and instead use heat and chemicals that bubble up from the vents
What is the ultimate source of chemical energy in almost every ecosystem
Photosynthesis
Food Chain Definition
One Pathway of producing and consuming food in an ecosystem
Food Web Definition
All of the interconnected food chains in an ecosystem
What is the role of phytoplankton in a marine ecosystem
As a producer
In nature, what may individuals compete for
Light, food, water, mates, space, or a place to live
Where might competition occur
Competition may be among members of the same species within a population or among different species in a community
What is Social Hierarchy
Social hierarchy is a ranked structure of members within a population that occurs by competition among members
How is a wolf pack structured
Social hierarchy
What is an alpha male
An alpha male is the wolf with the most freedom
What is a lone wolf
A lone wolf is at the bottom of the pack
True or False: Some animals are territorial and compete against packs
True
When does competition among members of the same population occur
Only in stressful conditions
What do Sagebrush and Creosote bushes do for protection
They produce chemicals that poison any other type of plant growing too close to them
Symbiosis Definition
A relationship between organisms of two different species living indirect contact with one another
What are the three types of symbiosis
Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism
Mutualism Definition
A symbiotic relationship in which both participants benefit from the relationship
What is the mutual relationship between Mycorrhiza a and plants
Mycorrhiza, the fungus that grows around plant roots, benefits plants by making it much easier for the roots to absorb the water and minerals the plant needs for growth and in return, the fungus benefits by getting nutrients from the plant made in photosynthesis
Why does a Hawaiian bobtail squid glow
The bobtail squid glows due to the special organ that reflects light given off by bacteria in the squid
What does a Hawaiian bobtail squid do when it hatches
When a bobtail squid hatches, it allows itself to become “infected” with a type of bacterium that emits light
Commensalism Definition
A symbiotic relationship in which one participant benefits from the relationship and the other is neither harmed nor harmed
What is the commensalism relationship between barnacles and whales
Barnacles on whales get a ride and are able to eat passing food particles but the whale isn’t injured or benefits
What is the commensalism relationship between silverfish and ants
Silverfish gain food and protection while the army ants do not benefit or get injured
Parasitism Definition
A symbiotic relationship in which one participant benefits from the relationship and the other is harmed
In a Parasitic relationship, what is the organism that benefits and is harmed called
The organism that benefits is the parasite and the organism that is harmed is called the host
