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Nat 5 Biology > Topic 3: Life on Earth > Flashcards

Topic 3: Life on Earth Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Ecosystem

A

All the organisms living in a particular habitat and the nonliving components with which the organisms interact.

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2
Q

Habitat

A

The place where an organism lives

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3
Q

Population

A

All of the organisms of ONE species in an area

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4
Q

Herbivore

A

An animal that only eats plants

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5
Q

Carnivore

A

An organism that only eats animals

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6
Q

Decomposer

A

An animal that feeds on dead or decaying material

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7
Q

Omnivore

A

An animal that may eat both plants and animals

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8
Q

Prey

A

An animal that is hunted and killed for food

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9
Q

Predator

A

An animal that kills other organisms for food

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10
Q

Consumer

A

An organism that eats other animals or plants to gain energy

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11
Q

Food web

A

A diagram showing how all of the organisms in a community are linked together

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12
Q

Food chain

A

A diagram that shows the feeding relationship from the producer to the final consumer

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13
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms with similar characteristics that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

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14
Q

Community

A

A group of organisms of different species living in the same place

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15
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of species in a community

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16
Q

Producer

A

A green plant that is able to produce food by photosynthesis

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17
Q

Biome

A

The various regions of our planet which can be distinguished by their climate, fauna and flora

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18
Q

Food chain

A

A diagram that shows how organisms are dependant each other for food (predator/prey relationship)

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19
Q

What is grass? (P, PC, or SC)

A

Producer (P)

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20
Q

What is a rabbit? (P, PC or SC)

A

Primary consumer (PC)

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21
Q

What is a fox? (P, PC, or SC)

A

Secondary consumer (SC)

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22
Q

What do all food chains start with?

A

Producer (a green plant)

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23
Q

What do arrows show in a food chain/web?

A

The direction of energy flow between organisms

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24
Q

Food web

A

Many food chains joined together, much more complex than a food chain

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25
Q

Interpendence

A

Describes how all organsisms within an ecosystem interact and depend on one another

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26
Q

If the number of organisms in one population changes in size (increases/decreases), what is it going to affect?

A

Other organisms, even those who are not directly linked to that species

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27
Q

What is competition?

A

The interaction that occurs between organisms when they require the same limited resources. To ensure they get enough resources available, they compete for them.

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28
Q

What do plants compete for?

A

Light, soil, nutrients and water

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29
Q

What do animals compete for?

A

Food, water, shelter and mates

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30
Q

Inasive species

A

A species of organism that it not native to a particular country

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31
Q

Why can insaive species upset the balance of interpendence between native organisms?

A

Because they can cause an increase in the intensity of competiton for already limited resources

32
Q

Interspecific competiton

A

Individuals of DIFFERENT species who compete for the same resources in an ecosystem

33
Q

Intraspecific competiton

A

Individuals of the SAME species that compete for exactly the same resources

34
Q

Which competiton is the most intense and why?

A

Intraspecific because the organisms require exactly the same resources. This type of competiton often leads to territoriality

35
Q

Terriroriality

A

Competiton between members of the same species for territories. This is to ensure thet the animal has a safe space to breed and have enough food

36
Q

What often happens when two different species require the same resource?

A

Competiton may become so fierce that one species tends to force the other out

37
Q

Niche

A

The role an organism plays in an ecosystem. This includes information on its interactions with other organisms in the community. The use it makes of resources such as light and nutrient availability

38
Q

What does niche involve?

A

Competiton, predation and the conditions it can tolerate, such as temperature

39
Q

No two species can…

A

occupy the same niche in an ecosystem

40
Q

If two species have identical needs, what would they be in?

A

Direct competiton for resources and one species would eventually become extinct

41
Q

If two species have different roles, what does that mean?

A

They are both able to successfully live in the same ecosystem

42
Q

How is energy lost in a food chain/web?

A
  • Some food is undigested and passed as faeces
  • Some is used for movement (kinetic energy)
  • Some is used to keep warm (heat energy)
43
Q

How much energy is passed on to the next organism?

A

A small quantity

44
Q

Pyramid of numbers

A

Indicates the relative number of organisms at each stage in a food chain

45
Q

What is found to be the most numerous in a pyramid of number?

A

Producers

46
Q

Pyramid of energy

A

Represents the quantity of energy (kJ) at each stage in a food chain

47
Q

Which pyramid shape doesn’t take a pyramid shape?

A

Pyramid of number

48
Q

Biotic factor

A

Any LIVING component that affects another organism

49
Q

Examples of biotic factors (6)

A
  • Predation
  • Grazing
  • Competiton
  • Food availability
  • Diseases
  • Trampling
50
Q

Abiotic factor

A

Any NON-LIVING component of the ecosystem that affects an organism

51
Q

Examples of abiotic factors

A
  • Temperature
  • Moisture
  • Light intensity
  • pH
52
Q

What is a biological key?

A

A method of identifying different species of organisms

53
Q

Two main types of keys

A
  • Paired statement key
  • Branched key
54
Q

What does a study of an ecosystem involve?

A
  • Finding out which plants and animals live there
  • Finding out how abundant organisms are
  • Investigating biotic, abiotic and human factors that might affect where the organisms live
55
Q

Quadrats

A

A squared frame that measures the abundance of species

56
Q

Quadrats key points

A
  • Should be placed randomly so it is representive
  • Many should be placed so that it is reliable
  • Can be used to measure slow moving animals
57
Q

Pitfall traps

A

A simple device used to catch small invertebrates on the ground

58
Q

Pitfall traps key points

A
  • Used to sample small invertebrates living on the ground
  • Likely to trap beetles and other insects
  • Repeats of the experiment make it more reliable
59
Q

Pollution

A

Is the presence of a substance that has harmful or poisonous effects

60
Q

Indicator species

A

Species whose presence/absence indicate the enviromental quality/pollution levels

61
Q

If we find lots of one species, and not many of another species, what does this tell us?

A

The pollution levels

62
Q

Lichens

A

An organism that are highly senstive to air quality. Because of this, they are used as indicator species to detect sources of pollution

63
Q

Why are green plants called producers?

A

Because they can produce their own food by photosynthesis

64
Q

Raw materials for photosynthesis

A

Carbon dioxide and water

65
Q

Essentials for photosynthesis

A

Light energy and chlorophyll

66
Q

Products of photosynthesis

A

Glucose and oxygen

67
Q

Word equation for photosynthesis

A

Carbon dioxide + water (light energy) ——-> (chlorophyll) glucose + oxygen

68
Q

Where in a cell, does photosynthesis take place?

A

Chloroplasts

69
Q

What captures the sun’s energy?

A

Chlorophyll

70
Q

What are the 3 ways that photosynthesis can be measured?

A
  • Counting the number of bubbles produced in a set period of time
  • Measuring the volume of oxygen produced in a set period of time
  • Using data loggers to measure oxygen production or CO2 consumption
71
Q

What will happen if a leaf does not have it’s materials for photosynthesis?

A

The leaf will not photosynthesize or contain any starch

72
Q

What controls photosynthesis?

A

Enzymes

73
Q

What are the two stages of photosynthesis?

A

Light reactions and Carbon fixation

74
Q

What is ATP?

A

A high energy molecule important to all living cells

75
Q

What does ADP + Pi regenerate into?

A

ATP (using light energy)

76
Q

Light energy is conveted to…

A

chemical energy

77
Q

Light reactions

A
  • Light energy is trapped by the clorophyll inside the chloroplasts and used to split a molecule of water
  • Water is split in two, producing oxygen which diffuses from the cell and hydrogen which is passed on to carbon fixation stage.
  • Light energy is needed to break bonds in a water molecule, but during the process of splitting water, a burst of energy (ATP) is released
    ADP + Pi —> ATP, which is passed on to carbon fixation

Nat 5 Biology (3 decks)

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