Unit 3 - Life On Earth Flashcards
what does biotic mean ?
biotic - are factors in the ecosystem related to living things e.g competition for food, space, preparation and disease
what’s does abiotic mean?
abiotic - are non-living factors in the ecosystem e.g. pH, light moisture, temperature, flow rate etc
what does habitat mean?
habitat - this is the place where an organism lives
what does population mean?
population - a group of organisms of the same species
what does community mean?
community - this is the sum total of all the populations of plant and animals living together
what does ecosystem mean?
ecosystem - this is the balanced interaction between the member is a community and their habitat
what is a food chain ?
food chains are often used to show the feeding relationships between different organisms
what do arrows in a food chain show
they show the direction of energy flow
what is a herbivore
herbivore - is an organism which eats plants only
what is a carnivore?
carnivore - eats other animals
what is a omnivore?
omnivore- eats both plants and animals
what can a pyramid of numbers be used to show?
a pyramid of numbers can be used to show the number of organisms at each stage of a food chain (doesn’t have to be a pyramid)
what is the chemical symbol for nitrogen? and what’s the important of this nutrient to plants?
the chemical symbol for nitrogen is N and it’s important to plants because it promotes leaf growth
what is the chemical symbol for phosphorus? and what’s the important of this nutrient to plants?
the chemical symbol for phosphorus is P and it’s important to plants because it promotes leaf growth
what is the chemical symbol for potassium? and what’s the important of this nutrient to plants?
the chemical symbol for potassium is K and it’s important to okays because it promotes growth of flowers and fruits
what is a fertiliser?
a fertiliser is a substance containing extra supplies of the nutrients needed by growing plants
what is photosynthesise?
photosynthesis is a chemical reaction in plants which makes food using light, carbon dioxide, and water they produce oxygen
what is chlorophyll?
it’s a green pigment found in chloroplasts
what does chlorophyll do?
it absorbs sunlight which will then be used to drive the photosynthesis reaction
what are some uses of glucose made during photosynthesis?
used in respiration to release energy
continued to starch (storage carbohydrate)
converted to cellulose (used to make cell walls)
how is ATP made?
when glucose is broken down it’s energy is used to make ATP
what happens to a enzyme when it gets too hot?
it denatures
what is a mutation?
a mutation is a sudden random change in the number or structure of an organisms chromosomes (DNA)
what is a gene?
a gene is a section of DNA which codes for a particular protein and therefore one characteristic, e.g. the gene for eye colour
what is interspecific competition ?
competition between different species
what is intraspecific competition?
competition between same species
what are problems with pitfall traps?
water getting in when it rains
birds taking trapped animals
predatory animals like spiders, ground beetles or centipedes eating their fellow captives
what are quadrats used for?
quadrats are used for estimating the abundance of plants or animals that don’t move
what are herbicides used to kill?
herbicides are used to kill weeds which compete with the crop and remove valuable nutrients from the soil
what part of the brain speeds up the heart rate during exercise?
medulla
what part of the brain is responsible for memory?
cerebrum
how many chromosomes does a human have?
46 chromosomes
what kind of cells are found in the brain?
neurone’s
which organ has 4 chamber’s?
the heart
which part of the brain is responsible for balance and coordination ?
cerebellum
