The importance of interactions between organisms + their environment Flashcards
Point - Gas Exchange & Haemoglobin
Gas exchange and haemoglobin show how organisms interact with their environment to take in oxygen for respiration
Evidence: Gas Exchange + Haemoglobin
- O2 from the air diffuses into the alveoli in the lungs, then into red blood cells
- Haemoglobin in red blood cells binds to oxygen to transport it around the body.
- During intense exercise, muscles use more O2, so haemoglobin releases more O2 where it is needs. (this is helped by the Bohr shift - more CO2 = more O2 released) .
- Organisms in low oxygen environments have haemoglobin with higher affinity for oxygen to help them load O2 even when levels are low (eg llamas)
Explain: Gas Exchange + Haemoglobin
- This shows an interaction between organisms and both their external (O2 in the air) and their internal environment (tissue demand)
- Haemoglobin allows efficient O2 transport and delivery based on the bodies needs and environments conditions
Link - Gas Exchange + Haemoglobin
This is essential for survival — without interacting with the environment to get oxygen, cells couldn’t respire, and the organism wouldn’t survive.
Shows the importance of internal and external interactions in biological systems.
Point: Taxis and Kinesis
- Taxis and kinesis are simple responses that show how organisms interact with their environment to improve their chances of survival
Evidence: Taxis and Kinesis
- Taxis is a directional response - e.g bacteria moving towards glucose (positive chemotacis) or away from harmful substances
- Kinesis is a non-directional response - e.g. woodlice move more in dry areas and slow in moist areas to stay in suitable conditions
- These behaviours help organisms find food, aviod danger, or stay in favourable environments
Explain: Taxis and Kinesis
- These simple behaviours help organisms respond to environmental stimuli like light, chemicals or moisture
- Even withour a complex nervous system, they can still interact effectively with their environment to survive and reproduce
- Improving their chances of survival and natural selection favour these responses
Link - Taxis and Kinesis
Taxis and kinesis show how even the simplest organisms rely on interactions with their environment to maintain life processes.
These responses are essential for survival, making the interaction between organisms and their environment fundamentally important in biology.
Point - PPC and competiton
Predator-prey relationships and competition show how interactios between organisms affect population size and balance of ecosystems
Evidence: PPC and competition
- In a predator-prey cycle, the population of prey (e.g. rabbits) increases -> predator population (e.g. foxes) increases due to more food -> prey numbers then fall -> predator numberes fall too
- This cycle is a classic example of how organisms interact and influence each others survival
- Competition alse plays a role- e.g. interspecific competition (between species) for food, light, or space, or intraspecific competition (within the same species), which affects growth and reproduction.
- For example, red and grey squirrels in the UK - grey squirrels outcompete reds for food reducing red populations
Explain: PPC and competition
- These interactions regulate population sizes, maintain ecosystem stability, and drive evolutionary changes (e.g. prey becomes faster, predators more efficient)
- They show how organisms are closely connected to both biotic and abiotic factors in the environment
Link: PPC and competition
These interactions are crucial for understanding how ecosystems function and stay in balance.
They demonstrate that no organism exists in isolation — all life depends on constant interaction with the environment and other species.
Point: Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle shows how organisms interact with their environment to recycle essential nutrients, ensuring the avaliabiity for living organisms.
Evidence: Nitrogen Cycle
- Nitrongen-fixing bacteria convert nitrogen gas (N2) from the atmosphere into ammonia, which plants can use.
- Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste into ammonia (ammonification) continuing the nitrogen cycle.
- Nitrifying bacter convert amminia to nitrates back, which absorbed by plants.
- Dentrifying bacteria converts nitrates back into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere
This cycle shows interactions between plants, bacteria, and the abiotic environment (soil, air).
Explain: Nitrogen Cycle
- This cycle illustrates how organisms, such as bacteria, plants , and decomposers, depend on each other and the environment available in usable forms
- Withour thses interactions, nitrogen would not be available in sufficient quantities for the synthesis of proteins and DNA, which are crucial for life.
Link: Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is a perfect example of how organisms depend on both biological (organisms) and abiotic (soil, air) interactions to maintain ecosystems and life.
This shows the essential role of environmental interactions in sustaining life on Earth.
