N: Man's Use of Biological Resources Flashcards
Agriculture
The use of land for growing crops or raising lifestock (=’farming). Intensive agriculture often threatens to reduce biodiversity.
Biological pest control
The introduction of a natural predator to combat a pest species (as opposed to chemical control). E.g. the moth cactoblastis helped control prickly pear cactus in Australia.
Clones
Organisms which are genetically identical to one another, e.g. Produced by micropropagation in plants or nuclear fusion in animals.
Deforestation
The process of cutting down a large number of trees in a forest and not replacing them
Extinct
Species of organism that is no longer living, e.g. dodo, giant moa.
Fermentation
Type of anaerobic respiration (e.g. by yeast) which produces alcohol
Fermenter
A tank used to grow bacteria or yeast in liquid ‘culture’. Fermenters have equipment to control the temperature, oxygen & food levels, etc. for optimum growth. E.g. used to grow genetically engineered bacteria for insulin production.
Fertilisers
Nutrients applied to crops to speed up growth, containing mineral elements (usually N,P & K). May be natural (e.g. manure) or artificial.
Fish farming
Growing fish (e.g. trout or salmon) in ponds or nets, where feeding and oxygenating can be optimised, while predation and diseases are reduced. This maximises the growth rate and yield.
Transgenic
Describes an organism that is carrying genes from another species, as the result of genetic engineering.
Yoghurt
Food/drink made from milk by the action of Lactobacillus - a bacterium that produces lactic acid, curdling the milk proteins.
Micropropagation
Growing whole plants from tiny pieces of tissue (‘explants’) - a form of cloning. This allows large numbers of quality plants to be produced asexually from one desirable ‘parent’.
Monoculture
The cultivation of a single crop within a farm or particular area
Pesticides
Chemicals used to kill insects, weeds and micro-organisms that might damage crops
Selective breeding
The breeding of plants or animals that have desirable characteristics, so that these characters become established in the population. E.g. wheat has been selected for reduced stem length, and cattle for reduced fat, both to maximise the yield (or desirable grain/lean meat).
