life on earth

Question 1

what is a species?

Answer 1

a group of organisms that can breed to produce fertile offspring

Question 2

what is biodiversity?

Answer 2

the variety of plant and animal life in the world/particular habitat

Question 3

what is a population?

Answer 3

a group of organisms of one species in an ecosystem

Question 4

what is a producer?

Answer 4

a green plant that makes its own food through photosynthesis

Question 5

what is a consumer?

Answer 5

general name given to organisms unable to photosynthesise and is dependent on a ready-made food source

Question 6

what is a herbivore?

Answer 6

an animal that feeds on plant material only

Question 7

what is a carnivore?

Answer 7

an animal that feeds on flesh and other plant material only

Question 8

what is an omnivore?

Answer 8

an animal that feeds on both plant and animal material

Question 9

what is a predator?

Answer 9

an animal that hunts and eats other animals for food

Question 10

what is prey?

Answer 10

an animal that is hunted by other animals

Question 11

what is a food chain?

Answer 11

energy flow relationship
green plant > organism >other organism ect.

Question 12

what is a food web?

Answer 12

complex relationship composed of several inter-related food chains

Question 13

what is an ecosystem?

Answer 13

natural biological unit made up of all the living organisms and the non-living surroundings with which all the organisms interact

Question 14

what is an abiotic factor?

Answer 14

non living factors affecting ecosystems

Question 15

what is a biotic factor?

Answer 15

living factors affecting ecosystems

Question 16

what is a niche?

Answer 16

an organism’s role within its community. Includes:
-making use of light resources
-temperature resources
-nutrient availibility resources
-interaction with other organisms

Question 17

what is interspecific comp.?

Answer 17

compitition between different species

Question 18

what is intraspecific comp.?

Answer 18

compitition between the same species

Question 19

what are some things animals compete for?

Answer 19

-water
-food
-mates
-space

Question 20

what are some things plants compete for?

Answer 20

-light
-water
-space
-minerals

Question 21

biotic factors examples

Answer 21

-food availibility
-grazing and predation
-disease
-compitition for resources

Question 22

abiotic factors examples

Answer 22

-temperature
-light intensity
-soil moisure
-pH

Question 23

what is an indicator species?

Answer 23

species that, in their presence or absence, can reveal the level of pollution in a certain area

Question 24

what is most energy lost as throughout a food chain?

Answer 24

-heat
-uneaten parts
-waste production
-movement

Question 25

what is a mutation?

Answer 25

changes to genetic material

Question 26

what causes mutations?

Answer 26

mutations are sponteneous but the rate of mutation can be sped up because of radiation or chemicals

Question 27

what are the three forms of mutation?

Answer 27

-nuetral -disadvantageous -advantageous

Question 28

what is an adaptation?

Answer 28

an inherited characteristic that makes an organism better suited to its enviroment

Question 29

what are the three types of adaptation?

Answer 29

-structural - physical features of organism -physiological - bodily functions of an organism -behavioural - things organism does to stay alive

Question 30

what is natural selection?

Answer 30

the process by which evolution occurs

Question 31

what is speciation?

Answer 31

the creation of a new species

Question 32

what types of barriers can cause speciation?

Answer 32

geographical - river, desert ect ecological - differences in temp. and pH ect behavioural - bird courtship dances ect