Levels of Organization & Food Chains Flashcards
List the levels of biological organization in order from smallest to largest.
Sub-atomic particles, Atoms, Molecules, Cells, Tissues, Organs, Organ Systems, Organisms, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems, Biomes, Biosphere, Solar System, Galaxies, Universe
The tiny parts of an atom including protons, neutrons, & electrons.
Subatomic Particles
The building blocks of all matter.
Atoms
Made of several atoms bonded together.
Molecules
The building blocks of all organisms.
Cells
A group of similar cells working together.
Tissues
A group of tissues working together in a complete body part.
Organ
A group of organs working together for a specific function.
Organ System
A complete living thing.
Organism
A single species of organisms breeding together in a certain area.
Population
Multiple species interacting in an area.
Community
All the living and non-living things interacting in an area.
Ecosystem
A group of similar ecosystems across the globe.
Biome
The thin layer of life surrounding our planet.
Biosphere
The Sun and all of the planets and other objects that orbit around it.
Solar System
A group of thousands of stars orbiting a common center of mass.
Galaxy
All of the matter and energy that exists.
Universe
Living parts of an ecosystem.
Biotic Factors
Non-living parts of an ecosystem.
Abiotic factors
The variety of organisms in an ecosystem.
Biodiversity
The process where energy and nutrients are transferred through an ecosystem.
Food Chain or Food Web
Compare food chains to food webs.
Both show the movement of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem, but food webs are more detailed, showing all of the different foods eaten by organisms and all of the predators that feed on them.
Every food web starts with….
The Sun (except some deep water ecosystems that start with hydrothermal vents - underwater hot springs).
Organisms that harvest energy from non-living sources.
Producers
The formal name for producers.
Autotrophs
Any organism that gets its energy from other organisms.
Consumer
The formal name for consumers.
Heterotrophs
Organisms that get their energy by eating plants.
Herbivores
Organisms that get their energy by eating animals.
Carnivores
Organisms that get their energy by eating both plants and animals.
Omnivores
Organisms that get their energy by eating tiny particles of once-living organisms.
Detrivores
Organisms that get their energy by eating dead organisms that they did not kill.
Scavengers
Organisms that get their energy by absorbing molecules from once-living organisms, which converts the molecules into nutrients that can be recycled through the ecosystem.
Decomposers
Organisms that get their energy by eating fish.
Piscivores
Organisms that get their energy by eating insects.
Insectivores
Organisms that get their energy by eating fruit.
Frugivores
The proper name for any level of a food chain.
Trophic Level
The trophic level that includes herbivores.
Primary Consumers
The trophic level that includes carnivores that eat herbivores.
Secondary Consumers
The trophic level that includes carnivores that eat carnivores.
Tertiary Consumers
The level of a food chain that includes producers.
First Trophic Level.
The level of a food chain that includes herbivores.
Second Trophic Level
The level of a food chain that includes carnivores that eat herbivores.
Third Trophic Level
The level of a food chain that includes carnivores that eat carnivores.
Fourth Trophic Level
The organisms in a food chain that recycle nutrients back to the producers.
Decomposers
The average amount of energy that is transferred from one trophic level to another.
10%
If the producers capture 752 calories, how much energy is transferred to the herbivores?
75.2 Calories
A diagram showing the amount of energy at each trophic level.
Energy Pyramid
Energy pyramids show that there are always _________ producers than herbivores in an ecosystem.
More
Energy pyramids show that the number of carnivores must always be _____________ than the number of herbivores in an ecosystem.
Less
Energy pyramids explain why a visitor to an ecosystem will always see ___________, and they will probably see some __________, but they would have to be very lucky to see any ________.
Producers, Herbivores, Carnivores
Energy pyramids explain why carnivores often need ___________ areas to survive.
Larger
Energy pyramids explain why organisms at this trophic level are often endangered.
Carnivores
