Plant and Animal Responses Flashcards
TROPISM
Plant movement by growth. Direction of response depends on direction of stimulus
PHOTOTROPISM
Tropic movement in response to light
GRAVITROPISM (GEOTROPISM)
Tropic movement in response to gravity
CHEMOTROPISM
Tropic movement in response to a chemical
THIGMOTROPISM
Tropic movement in response to contact (eg. Climbing vine)
HYDROTROPISM
Tropism movement in response to water
TAXIS
The movement of animal towards or away from stimulus from one direction
A taxis is where an animal moves away or towards a directional stimulus.
POSITIVE CHEMOTAXIS
Movement of male moth towards female moth
HOMING
The ability to find and return to the home site
Animals return to nest on a regular basis
MIGRATION
The mass movement of organisms between two habitats (seasonal or regular)
NASTIC RESPONSE
Response to diffuse stimuli that do not come from any particular direction
Quick, non directional , done by changing turgor pressure
THIGMONASTY
Sudden closing of Mimosa leaves when touched
KINESIS
Animals only: A non-directional response to a stimulus
ORTHOKINESIS
The speed of the movement is related to intensity of stimulus
KLINOKINESIS
The amount of random turning is related to the intensity of stimulus
BIOLOGICAL CLOCK
An internal timing system which controls (to some extent) timing of activities in organisms
ZEITGEBER
External environmental cue by which an internal clock is reset.
As the onset of a zeitgeber varies seasonally, the clock is continually being reset so an organism’s activity remains synchronised with the night-day cycle
CIRCADIAN
Daily activity, approximately 24 hours (endogenous)
Difference between a circadian rhythm and a daily rhythm
Circadian = activity continues to show an approx 24-hour rhythm under constant conditions i.e. it is endogenous.
Daily = simply a rhythm with a 24-hour period; the term implies nothing about the origin of the rhythm - it may be exogenous or endogenous
CIRCATIDAL
Tidal activity period, approximately 12.4 hours
CIRCALUNAR
Monthly activity period, 29 days
CIRCANNUAL
Yearly activity period, approximately 360 days
DIURNAL
Active during the day, inactive at night
NOCTURNAL
Active at night, inactive during the day
CREPUSCULAR
Active at dawn and dusk
ARRHYTHMIC
No regular pattern found in organisms in unchanging habitats eg. caves
INTRASPECIFIC
Competition between members of the same species
INTERSPECIFIC
Competition between members of different species
Inter-house competition - between houses
HOME RANGE
Surrounds a territory; not defended and is typically an area where an animal forages for food and water if these are not supplied by their territory. Home ranges may overlap neighbouring territory holders
TERRITORY
Smaller than home range, it has defined boundaries defended from other members of the species.
PECKING ORDER/LINEAR HEIRARCHY
Occurs in a social group where the individuals are ranked from highest to lowest (from alpha to omega). The alpha individual is typically the largest or strongest male in the group.
COURTSHIP
Series of signals exchanged between male and female and ending in mating
k-STRATEGIST
Organisms who produce and care for a small number of offspring
PAIR BOND
A stable relationship between animals of opposite sex that ensures mating
PARENTAL CARE
Investment of resources by parents in the survival of offspring
PHEROMONE
Chemical used as a signal to other members of same species
MIMICRY
Adaptive resemblance between unrelated species
BATESIAN MIMICRY
Resemblance of a harmless species to one that is poisonous so reducing the mimic’s chances of predation