SERP 1 REVIEW Flashcards
Who uses the scientific method and why is the scientific method used?
Every day, people and scientists use the scientific method to solve problems in an investigation or experiment in the real world.
What are the three parts to a controlled experiment?
Control Group, Variables, Experimental Group (Must have 1 control group, but may have many experimental groups)
What is a Control Group and why are they needed?
A control group is the independent variable without any other variables acting on it, it is the data that is compared to other groups, also known as the normal group. It is also a source of comparison, not having the independent variable applied.
Something that changes in the experiment, such as using plant fertilizer on a tomato plant.
Variable
One factor that is purposely changed to test the effect of change on another variable, also known as what you are testing for, or the goal of the experiment. It also refers to what is changed or tested in an experiment and only has one variable, always shown on the x-axis on a graph.
Independent Variable
The variable that responds to the changes from the independent variable, depends on its value. Is always shown on the y-axis of a graph.
Dependent Variable
The ONE factor that is deliberately changed in order to test the effect of the change on another variable (it is what you are testing).
Independent Variable
Any part of an experiment that can be changed
Variable
The measurable effect, outcome, or response.
Dependent Variable
The group that does not receive the independent variable is used for comparison.
Control Group
glucose + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water + ATP
cellular respiration
Whar axis are the independent and dependent variables graphed on?
The independent variables are graphed on the x-axis and the dependent variables are graphed on the y-axis.
Why don’t scientists make conclusions if more than one variable is altered in an experiment?
Scientists do not make conclusions if more than one variable is altered in an experiment because they would not know what had caused the outcome, therefore it is easier to know why an experiment happened with only one variable, as you know what had caused the change.
Why must a hypothesis be testable?
A hypothesis must be testable as it is an explanation for why something happens or a set of facts in an experiment or investigation.
What is the general format used for writing a hypothesis?
The general format is “If I.V., then D.V.” but can also be the “Cause, then - Effect”.
What is a conclusion and when during the scientific method would a conclusion be made?
A conclusion is a detailed description of how the data supports or refutes the hypothesis, summarizing the investigation and including questions for even further investigation. The conclusion would be made after they have recorded and analyzed the data, known as the sixth step.
What are some limitations of scientific models?
Some limitations of scientific models are that they cannot behave or act like the thing they modeled and they are not to the scale of their modeling.
used for precisely measuring the volume of liquids.
Graduated Cylinder
used for measuring the temperature of the air or most liquids.
thermometer
used to measure the mass of substances accurately
Digital Scale/ Triple-beam balance
used for measuring the length of an object in centimeters, millimeters, or longer distances.
Meter stick
How do you measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object like a rock or gemstone?
To measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object such as a rock or gemstone, measure the volume of water in a graduated cylinder, place the object into water, check the volume, then subtract the two volumes, getting cm cubed.
water displacement
What does the apron symbol mean in a scientific experiment?
Clothing Protection is Required. They would be used if handling heat or chemicals.
If you see a goggle icon in a scientific experiment, what does it mean?
Eye Protection is Required. They would be used if handling heat or chemicals.
If you see a glove icon in a scientific experiment, what does it mean?
Hand Protection Required. Handling chemicals and other hazardous waste.
If you see a fire icon in a scientific experiment, what does it mean?
Flammables would be used if an item is flammable in the lab.Do not put hand in the fire, be careful
The process by which organisms with certain traits survive and reproduce at a higher rate than organisms without these traits.
Natural Selection
Is Natural Selection Related to the Theory of Evolution?
Natural selection is related to the Theory of Evolution because the theory depends on natural selection as it drives change through helpful adaptations and traits.
Is to ensure that some of the animals will survive when encountering natural problems, etc. Every species tends to produce more individuals than can survive to maturity.
Overproduction
What are the four points on which the theory of natural selection is based on?
Overproduction, genetic variation, selection (struggle to survive), adaptation (successful reproduction)
Having variation in the population will ensure that some will have better traits than others and will have the ability to survive in a changing environment, ensuring that traits will be passed on. The individuals of a population have many characteristics that differentiate each other.
Genetic Variation
Some organisms will die, known as the survival of the fittest of which some of the offspring’s traits will be either favored, or not. This can be also known as natural selection because it will matter if an offspring will have helpful traits. Some individuals survive longer and reproduce more than others do.
Selection (Struggle to Survive)
This is the key as it allows the good traits to be passed on to the next generation, thus change over time is equal to evolution by natural selection. The traits of those individuals that survive and reproduce will become more common in a population.
Adaptation (Successful Reproduction)
The human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired traits, humans drive the process. This process is also known as artificial selection.
Selective breeding
Humans have changed field corn so that it is resistant to molds & fungi. They have genetically altered it to grow so it won’t be susceptible to infestation by molds & fungi to get better crops. How is this example of selective breeding different than natural selection?
This is an example of selective breeding because humans have driven the change and have chosen desired traits such as mold and fungi resistance. Selective breeding is different from natural selection because it doesn’t have the best traits or adaptations that nature causes, humans cause the change by choosing desired traits over other ones. Natural selection occurs when helpful survival traits are favored, not certain, and/or specific ones.
______ is a behavior that has been learned from experience or observation, not inherited or an instinct. An example of this is learning a language such as English.
Learned behavior
Are used for swimming on birds as many geese and other birds have this type of feet to survive in a wetland or pond and easier to swim in an aquatic environment.
Webbed Feet
Are used for capturing prey or food and being able to kill them.
Sharp Talons on Feet
Are used to wade through the water to stalk prey.
Long Legs and Long Toes
______ is when winter begins and animals go inactive in a deep sleep for months due to scarce resources and often need to eat lots of food before it happens. Animals would ____ because of the cold weather with a lack of food and water to avoid starving.
Hibernation, hibernate
When the summer heat begins to become unbearable for animals, they go inactive and sleep for a few days to a few weeks at a time, until it becomes cooler for them to come out of their burrows/homes. Their internal processes are also down.
ESTIVATION
Why would animals need to use hibernation and estivation behavior?
The conditions that would make animals use hibernation and estivation behaviors are due to a shortage of food, water, shelter, and/or space in their environment. They would hibernate or estivate to avoid death and save their energy in the heat and cold.
The number and variety of organisms and species in a given area during a specific period of time. _____ also includes genetic diversity and variety, it is known as the differences in the DNA or genetic make-up of individuals or organisms of the same species.
Biodiversity
How does high biodiversity contribute to the sustainability of an ecosystem?
High biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem because high biodiversity makes the environment more stable and more likely to recover from disease or disasters. In addition, high biodiversity has interdependency on animals, instead of one species only relying on another. If the biodiversity is high, so is the sustainability because of the amount of interdependency between species. More options to choose from to a quicker recovery.
What is the difference between an external and internal stimulus?
The difference between external and internal stimuli is that external stimuli are when the stimulus is found outside of the body, while internal stimuli are when the stimulus is found inside of the body, such as bacteria and viruses. An external stimulus is a flea on a dog.
Plants such as sweet potatoes and onions from bulbs. How does a bulb help the plant survive environmental changes - under what conditions is a bulb helpful for the plant?
A bulb helps a plant survive environmental changes by providing glucose, food, or energy that can be used when resources are low.
How are a bird’s feathers and skeletal system specialized for flight?
A bird’s feathers and skeletal system are specialized for flight because of their hollow bones and feathers to make the bird lighter, therefore flight will become easier and possible for them.
On the Galapagos Islands, several species of finch were found with varying beak size. What is the likely reason that natural selection occurred to create these varying beak sizes?
The most likely reason that natural selection occurred, was to create varying beak sizes, due to the type of food that was in the ecosystem before and after a disturbance. For example, it might be possible that a disease had wiped out all the flowers that produce tiny seeds so that the beaks would have to evolve to get bigger, and/or change their shape. Adapted to their food.
What is the equation for photosynthesis?
CO2 + H2O + Sunlight → C6H12O6 + O2
What are the reactants of the photosynthesis formula?
CO2 + H2O + Sunlight- Carbon Dioxide, water, and sunlight
What are the products of the photosynthesis formula?
C6H12O6 + O2 the products are Glucose- keeps and uses and oxygen (gets rid of)
What is the cellular respiration formula?
C6H12O6 + O2 → CO2 + H2O + ATP
What are the reactants of the cellular respiration formula?
GLUCOSE!
What are the products of the cellular respiration formula?
glucose and oxygen
where does cellular respiration occur?
In the mitochondria of plant and animal cells
Where does photosynthesis occur?
In the chloroplasts of plant cells
Movement or growth of a part of an organism towards a source of light is always positive.
Phototropism
The movement toward or away from a touch stimulus on the part of a portion of an organism, such as leaves or tendrils, can be positive or negative but not at the same time.
Thigmotropism
Growth response in relation to gravity grows toward gravity, roots are positive and stems are negative.
Geotropism
The growth or movement of an organism in the direction of water is always positive.
Hydrotropism
What causes a plant to wilt?
Low turgor pressure causes a plant to wilt because the vacuole in the cells of plants shrinks when they do not have enough water to fill up the vacuole or have a low level.
Where does the energy for Photosynthesis come from?
The Sun
What is carrying capacity?
Defined as a species’ average population size in a particular habitat. The species population size is limited by environmental factors like adequate food, shelter, water, and mates. If these needs are not met, the population will decrease until the resource rebounds.
1st level of the energy pyramid
Producers- Do not eat anything, plants, sunflowers. It is also known as the bottom layer that is made of organisms that are autotrophic. (PLANTS) Makes its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. (MOST ENERGY)
Second level of the energy pyramid
Primary Consumers- Eats plants, herbivores, second layers that eat the producers.
Can organisms be found on different trophic levels?
Yes, some organisms can be found at multiple trophic levels depending on what they eat.
What would happen to the population of the frogs in the food
web if the owl and snakes were to die out? (The frog’s predators are owls and snakes)
The frog population would overpopulate because they have no predators to eat them, therefore their food source will decrease, and then the frog population will decrease. They will eventually level out to their carrying capacity.
Third level of the energy pyramid
Secondary Consumers- Carnivores that eat the primary consumers.
Four level of the energy pyramid
ONE OF THE LEAST! Tertiary Consumers- Carnivores that eat the secondary consumers.
What happens to the level of stored energy as you move up an energy pyramid?
The level of stored energy decreases because only ten percent of energy is passed on throughout the energy pyramid levels because the other 90% is used for life processes and some are lost in heat.
An organism capable of producing its own energy through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, also known as an autotroph.
Producer
An organism that eats other organisms or organic matter, is known as heterotrophic.
Consumer
An organism that gets its energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or animal waste and consuming or absorbing the nutrients.
Decomposer
Where do organisms, such as humans, get their energy to carry out life processes?
Chemical energy, known as glucose, is food molecules. People get energy from the breakdown of the chemical energy in their food, which at some point causes photosynthesis, creating glucose. People need to eat to get the energy from the food molecules as glucose.
What type of energy conversion occurs when a plant performs photosynthesis?
Radiant or light energy from the Sun gets transformed into chemical energy, known as glucose. (Radiant and light → chemical energy)
What type of energy conversion occurs when an animal produces heat after running?
Chemical energy, known as glucose, gets transformed into mechanical and thermal energy. (Chemical → mechanical and thermal) This process is used for animal respiration and human respiration.
Temperature / Precipitation: It is a cold desert / gets less than 25 cm of rain a year.
Tundra
Soil: Has a permanently frozen layer of soil called permafrost – which give it a VERY short growing season in the summer.
Tundra Biome
Animals: Have thick fur / excess fat layer (to protect against the cold), Usually light in color in the winter and darker in the summer (to blend in with the environment). (few reptiles or amphibians)
Tundra
Plants: No trees (not enough water), small shrubs / bushes, grasses, flowers, lichens & mosses mostly.
Tundra Biome
Most plants have a thick waxy layer - cuticle (to prevent water loss), Grow far apart (so they don’t have to compete for resources like water), Have roots that spread out very wide and may go deeper (a big root system to collect as much water as they can after each rainfall). The topsoil is very nutrient poor and the lack of water prevents non-vascular plants from surviving.
What are the major characteristics of plants in desert biomes?
Why would some birds have a difficult time living in a temperate grassland (prairie)?
Some birds would have a difficult time living there because there are not many trees because most of the trees are killed by prairie fires and there is not enough water. So the birds that could live there would have to be ground nesting birds.
How are Temperate grassland plants adapted for survival in the prairie?
The roots of grassland plants store nutrients for easy recovery after animals have eaten the top of the grass or fires burn them to the ground, destroying all the old grass. They have thick, wide, deep roots that provide a level of protection from animal overgrazing and fire.
What effects would a Hurricane have on an environment?
Hurricane: Hurricane will cause saltwater to invade freshwater areas and could kill plants and fish. They will also remove large chunks of land (through erosion) and damage wildlife habitats. The removed sediment will get deposited in other locations damaging the wildlife habitats as well. They have high winds to uproot plants and displace animals (force them to move).
What effects would Flooding have on an environment?
Could uproot plants and displace animals. Once the water dries out, the plants and animals will return.Without the plants, the ecosystem will have a hard time supporting any other type of life.
Plants have a shallow, wide root system and/or have a very long, deep root system to absorb water. The plants grow away from each other to reduce competition. The topsoil is very nutrient-poor and the lack of water prevents non-vascular plants from surviving in this biome because they do not have roots.
Desert biome plant characteristics.
is the orderly changes an ecosystem goes through as it grows and develops.
Ecological succession
What type of role does ecological succession play in forming ecosystems - how does it grow back after the disturbance / disaster?
Due to ecological succession the environment begins to form a stable ecosystem. There will be great change in the beginning as the small plants start growing and animals return and then it would become stable or level out as it reaches the climax community. Because of succession, sometimes small microhabitats can form along the way. A microhabitat is a habitat within another habitat that has unique properties where new variations of life can exist and thrive.
Occurs on bare rock, pioneer species is moss / lichens, takes 100-1000’s of year reach a climax community (such as a forest, prairie, or a desert)
Primary Succession
Occurs on bare rock, pioneer species is moss / lichens, takes 100-1000’s of year reach a climax community (such as a forest, prairie, or a desert).
PRIMARY Succession
Why is it important to have a high level of biodiversity - EXPLAIN?
Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. It allows for a wider variety of genetic possibilities. A healthy ecosystem can better withstand and recover from a variety of diseases and disasters because more options for recovery exist. Having high biodiversity is more stable than low biodiversity.
What is a watershed and what is a divide in a watershed?
A watershed is an area of land where water flows across it as it moves towards a larger body of water OR one in which water drains to a particular body of water. The divide in a watershed is the highest point that determine which direction water will flow and separates one watershed from another
How can human activity affect a watershed? (REMEMBER THIS EXAMPLE)
Human activity can increase leaching of pollution into groundwater (from adding chemicals to the ground or from landfills). Farming can increase polluted runoff from all their fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Buildings and roads cover the soil which decreases infiltration and increases runoff and flooding. Factories could cause chemical, thermal and biological pollution.
How can humans negatively impact surface water - give at least 3 specific examples. (REMEMBER THIS)
Farming (agricultural) runoff of fertilizers-herbicides-pesticides or ranching could lead to biological pollution / littering / general pollution from cars-factories-farms like thermal-chemical- biological pollution / urban runoff of fertilizers.
Sources of water pollution which can be traced to a specific place or location.
Point source
Leaking septic tanks, gasoline storage tanks, pipes from factories.
Examples of point-source pollution
Pollution of the water or air from a general area such as runoff from farmland or urban communities – you can’t pinpoint it to any one person / entity
NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Examples: Runoff from cities, farms, car exhaust and littering.
NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION
How could building a new town greatly impact a watershed - give at least 3 specific examples? (REMEMBER THIS)
First, soil will disappear as roads and building are built which will reduce infiltration and will increase runoff and flooding. Cities also are a source of multiple types of pollution (chemical, thermal, and biological) that will probably end up in watersheds through runoff. Cities will require the use of water and may lower aquifer and reservoir levels.
Where would the best place be to build a factory for a watershed?
The best location for factories to do the least amount of damage in a watershed would be away from water sources
The breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by physical means – only makes it smaller.
MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL WEATHERING
Ice wedging, wind (abrasion), water (abrasion), gravity (abrasion), plant roots, animal activity, temperature changes, and pressure changes.
8 agents of physical weathering
water
agent in both physical and chemical weathering
is the chemical breakdown of rocks and minerals into new substances. (with addition of other substances)
CHEMICAL WEATHERING
acids in living things (lichen & moss), acids in groundwater, acid precipitation, oxidation (oxygen that causes rusting)
4 agents of chemical weathering
First there has to be strong winds that can move sand (erosion) and there needs to be a supply of sand to be moved around, then winds have to slow down (stop) by hitting an obstacle, and finally deposit the sand in the same place over time.
SAND DUNE FORMATION (REMEMBER THIS)
Describe the farming practice of contour plowing that farmers use to help prevent soil erosion on their farmland?
Contour plowing is used on hills. Farmers plant crops across the slope of the hill in rows to reduce soil erosion that occurs as rain flows down the hill. The rows act as mini-dams, slowing the water down and thus creating less erosion from water.
How could the removal of trees / grasses (vegetation) affect an ecosystem?
More erosion will occur because there will be less trees and ground cover present. The roots of plants help hold soil in place which reduces runoff and soil erosion from wind and water.
What are the major characteristics in the desert biome?
Most plants have a thick waxy layer - cuticle (to prevent water loss), Grow far apart (so they don’t have to compete for resources like water), Have roots that spread out very wide and may go deeper (a big root system to collect as much water as they can after each rainfall). The topsoil is very nutrient poor and the lack of water prevents non-vascular plants from surviving. (REMEMBER THIS)
Leaves at the bottom of the forest are very large to absorb any light that makes it to the bottom. The have leaves that come to a point that act as drip tips to get rid of excess water. Vines are able to climb trees with smooth bark.
What are the major adaptations of plants in the tropical rainforest?
The maintenance of a constant internal state in a changing environment.
Homeostasis
3 Major things to do when it is too HOT or too COLD?
Estivation, hibernation, and migration
