Module 2 Flashcards
Define species
Population of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Define population
Any group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographical area at the same time.
Define community
All of the organisms in all the interacting populations in a given area.
Define ecosystem
A community of populations, together with the abiotic factors that surround and affect it.
Define biosphere
All areas on earth (in the air, land, and water) that are in habited by and support life.
Biomes are________________________.
Biomes can be ____________ or ______________.
A very large community, named based on types of organisms that are present.
Aquatic or terrestrial
List examples of aquatic biomes
Lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, coral reefs, open ocean, deep oceans, estrauries.
List examples of terrestrial biomes
Tropical forest, deserts, Savannah, temperate grasslands, coniferous forest, temperate forests, tundra, Chaparral.
Explain how the earths curvature and tilted access influence climate
Earths curvature and tilted axis determine which angle the sunlight strikes earths surface and determines season and climate.
What are the three distinct zones of life found in lakes?
Littoral, Benthic, Limnetic
State where the Littoral zone is located and give examples of organisms found there.
Shallow warm water, lots of sunlight. Organisms that are found here include, rooted plants, Insects, and small fish.
State where the Benthic zone is located and organisms that can be found in it.
Mud and sand, little or no light. Organisms that are found here include, decomposers, filter feeders, and worms.
State where the Limnetic zone is located and what organism are found there.
Open water, lots of light. Organisms that are found here include, algae, small and large fish.
What are the three different types of wetlands?
Basin wetland, riverine wetland, and fringe wetland.
Define habitat
A place or area with a particular set of biotic and abiotic features for which a species is adapted.
Define range
The geographical area where species or population is found.
What is an ecological niche?
The role an organism plays in a community and ecosystem. This includes the total biotic and abiotic required for the organism to survive.
How do ecologists sample populations?
Using transects or quadrants
Define transects
A long rectangle of random direction
Define quadrants
Randomly selected locations in an area, best for stationary organisms
Define taxonomy
Branch of biology that groups of organisms based on different characteristics
What are the characteristics used in taxonomy?
Structure, behavior, development, genetic make up, nutritional needs, and methods of obtaining food.
What did Aristotle’s Research create?
Aristotle is Responsible for the creation of kingdoms. Specifically to kingdoms, plantar, and animalia.
What did Carolus Linnaeus Research create?
Developed a hierarchy,
Discovered 6 kingdoms
subdivided each kingdom into smaller groups.
These smaller groups consist of class, order, family, genus, kingdom, species, and phyla.
What is Carolus Linnaeus also referred as?
Father of taxonomy
What did Carl Woese’s research create?
The six kingdom system now included a level of classification above kingdoms,Called domain.
What are the three domains?
Bacteria, Archaea, and Eurkarya
What is Dichotomous keys?
Is a branch or stepped process that can be used to identify organisms.
What is adaptation?
Any evolved trait that help an organism be more suited for its environment.
What is structural adaptation?
Physical change in anatomy
What is behavioural adaptation?
Change in the way an organism acts in response to an environmental stimulus.
What is physiological adaptation?
Changes to internal body systems of an organism.
What is genetic variation?
A visible or invisible difference which help individuals in a population to survive.
What are the two different categories of genetic variation?
Sexual reproduction and mutation
What is the genetic variation known as sexual reproduction include?
Involves the recombination of genes, half of the genetic material comes from the female and other half from the mail.
What is the genetic variation known as mutation include?
Change is genetic material of an organism, results in different genes, maybe advantages or disadvantages or neither.
What happens if Mutation occurs in the somatic cells?
The mutation disappears when organisms die
What happens if mutation occurs in the gamete cells?
The mutation may be passed on to the next generation.
What are the two models of pace of evolution?
Gradualism, punctuated equilibrium
What does the pace of evolution model gradualism include?
Gradual changes occur steadily in a linear fashion. Big changes occur as a result of many small changes.
What does the pace of evolution model punctuated equilibrium include?
Evolutionary history consists of long periods of equilibrium where there is little change interrupted by period of speciation.
What are the two pathways of speciation?
Transformation and divergence
What does the speciation pathway transformation include?
New species gradually develop over many generations, Older species are replaced.
What does the speciation pathway divergence include?
One or more species arise from a parent species that continue to exist, increase in biological diversity.
Transformation and divergence are the result of ____________.
Natural selection
What is natural selection?
Process that changes characteristics of a population or organisms because certain inherited traits survive and reproduce more than those lacking the trait.
What is natural selection in simpler terms?
Nature select switch organisms live or die.
Changes occur in populations and not _____________.
Individuals
What is bio diversity?
Is the total number of species in an ecosystem
What four factors on earth distributed unevenly results in diversity of life?
Nutrients, energy, liquid water, and temperatures
Earths curvature and tilted axis do what?
Determine the angle at which sunlight strikes earths surface and determines season and climate.
What happens when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun?
Sunlight is direct and hemisphere has summer
When southern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun what happens?
Receives slanted sunlight and has winter
What are the abiotic limiting factors that control the number of individuals in a population?
Soil type, moisture, temperature range, humidity levels, and availability of water.
What are the biotic limiting factors
That control the number of individuals in a population?
Competition, predator and parasites.
What is intraspecific competition?
Members of the same population compete with each other for a limited resource e.g. water, food
What is interspecific competition?
Competition between members of two or more populations.
What is population density?
The number of individuals per unit area or volume
How is the population density determined?
Determined by calculating the average number of individuals per quadrat and dividing by the size of the quadrat
What’s are (3) properties of a Eukaryote when naming organisms?
Have membrane bound organelles,
DNA double stranded informs chromosomes,
can be unicellular or more multicellular
what’s are (3) properties of Prokaryotes when naming organisms?
No nucleus,
No membrane bound organelles,
Unicellular
What is a taxon
A taxon Is a group of organisms in the classification system
What does the domain bacteria include?
Kingdom Eubacteria
Unicellular prokaryotic organisms
Reproduce asexually
Found in all habitats except harsh ones
What does the domain archaea include?
Kingdom archaebacteria
Unicellular prokaryotic organisms
Reproduce asexually
Live in harsh environments
what does the domain eukarya include?
Unicellular or multicellular organisms
Reproduce sexually
Include all organisms with eukaryotic cells
What are the levels of classification in order?
Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
What is a binomial nomenclature system?
It’s a two name system of naming organisms
How do you name a organism using the binomial nomenclature system?
First word is the genius first letter is capitalized, second word is the species always in lowercase.
What is an adaptation?
Any Evolved treat that help an organism be more suited for it’s environment.
What is genetic variation?
A visible or invisible difference which help individuals in a population to survive.
What is genetic mutation?
Change is genetic material, may occur from errors in copying DNA or mutagens
What is natural selection?
Process that changes characteristics of a population of organisms because certain inherited trait survive and reproduce more than those like in the trait.
What is evolution?
The change over time in characteristics of a population.
Speciation is the formation of new species third to pathways what is the transformation pathway?
New species gradually develops over many generations, older species are replaced.
Speciation is the formation of new species, There are two pathways what is the divergence pathway?
One or more species arise from a parent species that continue to exist.
