Topic 4A : Biodiversity

Question 1

biodiversity

Answer 1

variety of living organisms in an area

Question 2

species diversity

Answer 2

the number of different species and the abundance of each species in an area

Question 3

genetic diversity

Answer 3

the variation of alleles within a species

Question 4

endemism

Answer 4

when species is unique to a single place

Question 5

gene pool

Answer 5

complete set of alleles in a species (or population)

Question 6

niche

Answer 6

species interaction with other loving organisms and the non living environment

Question 7

what are the three types of adaptations

Answer 7

behavioural, anatomical, physiological

Question 8

behavioural adaptation

Answer 8

the way an organisms acts to increase its chance of survival

Question 9

physiological adaptation

Answer 9

processes inside an organism’s body to increase its chance of survival

Question 10

anatomical adaptation

Answer 10

structural features of an organism’s body to increase its chance of survival

Question 11

taxonomy

Answer 11

the science of classification which involves naming organisms and organising them into groups based on similarities and differences

Question 12

taxonomic groups

Answer 12

the different levels in classification

Question 13

state the different levels of taxonomy in order of size

Answer 13

domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species

Question 14

what are the different kingdoms

Answer 14

prokaryote

protoctista

fungi

plantae

animalia

Question 15

state the features of prokaryote

Answer 15

prokaryotes

single celled

no nucleus

Question 16

state the features of protoctista

Answer 16

eukaryotic cells, usually live in water, single-celled or simple multicellular organisms

Question 17

state the features of fungi

Answer 17

eukaryotic, chitin cell wall, saprotrophic (absorb substances from dead or decaying organisms)

Question 18

state the features of plantae

Answer 18

eukaryotic, multicellular, cell walls made of cellulose, can photosynthesise, contain chlorophyll, autotrophic (produce their own food)

Question 19

state the features of animalia

Answer 19

eukaryotic, multicellular, no cell walls, heterotrophic (consume plants and animals)

Question 20

endangered species

Answer 20

species that are at risk of extinction because of a low population or a threatened habitat

Question 21

conservation

Answer 21

the protection and management of endangered species

Question 22

seedbanks

Answer 22

store lots of seeds from lots of different species of a plant so that if a plant becomes extinct in the wild the stored seeds can be used to grow new plants

Question 23

how does seedbanks conserve genetic diversity

Answer 23

they store a range of seeds from plants with different characteristics (so different alleles)

Question 24

what do seedbanks involve

Answer 24

cool and dry conditions needed for storage so they can be stored for a long time

as well as testing the seeds for viability and the ability to grow into a plant

Question 25

suggest 5 advantages of seedbanks

Answer 25

cheaper to store seeds than fully grown plants

they need less space so large number can be stored

less labour required to look after the seedbanks than plants

seeds can be stored anywhere as long as conditions from original habitat are present

seeds are less likely to be damaged by disease, natural disaster or vandalism

Question 26

suggest 3 disadvantages of seedbanks

Answer 26

testing for viability can be expensive and time-consuming

too expensive to store all types of seed and regularly test them for viability

difficult to collect seeds from some plants as they may grow in remote locations

Question 27

what are captive breeding programmes

Answer 27

programmes that involves breeding animals in controlled environments

Question 28

how do captive breeding programmes help endangered species

Answer 28

endangered species or already extinct in the wild can be bred together in zoos to help increase their numbers

Question 29

problems associated with captive breeding

Answer 29

animals have problems breeding outside their natural habitat which can be hard to recreate in zoos

many people think its cruel to keep animals in captivity even if its done to prevent them becoming extinct

Question 30

problems associated with reintroducing organisms to the wild can cause problems

Answer 30

could bring new diseases to habitats harming other organisms living there

animals may not behave as they would if they were raised in the wild

Question 31

how do seedbanks contribute to scientific research

Answer 31

scientists can study how plant species can be successfully grown from seeds which is useful for reintroducing them to the wild

can be used to grow endangered plants for use in medical research so endangered plants dont have to be removed from the wild

Question 32

disadvantage of seedbanks contributing to scientific research

Answer 32

only studying plants from seeds in a seedbanks limits the data to small interbred populations so information may not be representative of the wild

Question 33

how do zoos contribute to scientific research

Answer 33

increases knowledge about the behaviour, physiology and nutritional needs of animals which contributed to conservation efforts in the wild

zoos can carry out research thats not possible for some species in the wild

Question 34

disadvantage of zoos contributing to scientific research

Answer 34

animals in captivity may act differently to those in wild

Question 35

how do zoos help to educate people about conserving biodiversity

Answer 35

people get close to organisms increasing their enthusiasm for conservation work

Question 36

how do seedbanks help to educate people about conserving biodiversity

Answer 36

provides training and setting up local seedbanks around the world