Topic 6 Flashcards
Define population
group of organisms of the same kind living together in a habitat
Define community
All populations of organisms living and interacting in a particular habitat
Define ecosystems
different communities of organisms interacting with each other and the environment
how does water affect the presence of organisms
organisms gather where water is available
how are mineral salts important to organisms/plants
mineral salts are important for the production of proteins, vitamins and chlorophyll
how does salinity affect the organisms
salinity affects water potential which affects the kinds of organisms living there(e.g. salt/freshwater organisms)
how does daylight affect how alkaline the water is
aquatic plants photosynthesise to use up dissolved carbon dioxide, making the water more alkaline
Define parasitism
parasite benefits at the expense of host
What is mutualism
both organisms benefit from each other
Describe a predator-prey relationship
predator kills and eats other animal
vice versa
what are producers
producers are organisms which absorb sunlight to make their own food via process of photosynthesis
What are the functions of decomposers
Decomposers are bacteria/fungi which break down complex nutrients, return carbon dioxide to atmosphere, return soluble mineral salts into the soil
How can energy be lost in a food chain
lost as heat during respiration, passed out as undigested materials(can be transferred to decomposers) or waste products
Why is energy lost further down the trophic levels
energy cannot be recycled (energy flow is linear)
