Unit 1: Theme 2 Flashcards
What is the definition of sorting things into groups based on similar features?
Classification
What are the three main categories of living things?
- Plants
- Animals
- Microbes
What is an evolutionary tree?
They are branched diagrams that show how different species have evolved from a common ancestor
Interactions on how species depend on each other are called:
Ecological relationships
What is the name for the place where an organism lives?
Habitat
The name given to a habitat and all the organisms that live there is called:
Ecosystems
Plants need nutrients to survive. The other two things they need are:
Sunlight and water
Animals need mates to reproduce and suitable territory to live in. What two things do they need for growth?
Food and water
Many different plants and animals can be found in a pond. The different populations of species live together in a:
Community
Changes in the body to fit a habitat are:
Adaptation
What are extremophiles?
Microorganisms that can survive in extreme environments.
All living organisms have gradually developed, from a common ancestor, over millions of years. This process is called:
Evolution
Fossils were formed when animal and plant remains were preserved in big rocks. What does this fossil record provide?
The evidence of evolution
Through what process do organisms evolve?
Natural selection
If a species is poorly adapted to its environment, it will eventually die out and therefore the species will become:
Extinct
Extinction occurs naturally, but can also be caused by:
Human activity
Phototropism means:
Growing towards light
Gravitropism means:
Growing towards a source of gravity
Auxins make parts of the plant grow _________ than others
Faster
Weedkillers can use growth hormones to selectively kill weeds, by making them:
Grow too fast
Rooting powder (a growth hormone) is pasted onto plant cuttings to promote:
Root growth
Ethene (a plant hormone) is released onto fruits so they can:
Ripen quicker
Biomass is the mass of all living material found in a/an:
Ecosystem
Living organisms are divided into two groups. They are:
Producers and consumers
Producers (plants and algae) make their own food by absorbing energy from the sun, converting it into __________ ________ through the process of photosynthesis
Chemical energy
What is the equation for photosynthesis?
Carbon Dioxide + Water ——-> Glucose + Oxygen
6CO₂ + 6H₂O ——-> C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂
What is the equation for respiration?
Glucose + Oxygen —-> Carbon Dioxide + Water (+energy)
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ —-> 6CO₂ + 6H₂O (+energy)
Each next step in a food chain is known as the:
Trophic level
What does a food web show?
A series of interlinked food chains
The energy gained by a plant from the sun is used for:
- Growth
- Increasing a plants biomass
- Providing food for consumers
When one organism eats another, only around __% of the energy is transferred.
10
Energy is wasted when an organism eats another because:
- Not all parts of a plant or animal may be eaten
- Not all parts of the plant or animal can be digested
- Energy is lost from the body in urine (waste products)
What process converts light energy into chemical energy in a plant?
Photosynthesis
A ________ ___ _______ shows the population at each level in a food chain
Pyramid of numbers
What are decomposers?
Microorganisms that have enzymes that can break down waste from animals and corpses into nutrients, some of which are used for the growth of the organism, and others are released into the environment.
What is the equation for calculating biomass in a trophic level?
Total biomass = mass of an organism x the number of organisms in total.
What are detritivores?
Small animals that speed up the breakdown of decomposing materials by shredding dead material into pieces that makes it easier for decomposers to break down. (Includes earthworms, maggots and woodlice)
What are the different processes in nutrient cycling?
Plants take nutrients from soil =>
Animals eat plants and absorb nutrients =>
Decomposers release the nutrients back into the soil when the animals/plants die, where the nutrients are absorbed by plants once more.
What conditions do decomposers work most efficiently in?
Warm
Moist
Rich in oxygen
