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Nat 5 biology > unit 3 - life on earth > Flashcards

unit 3 - life on earth Flashcards

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1
Q

3 ways energy is lost during energy transfer?

A

movement, heat, undigested materials

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2
Q

what does a pyramid of numbers show?

A

it shows the population of each organism in a food chain

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3
Q

What does a pyramid of energy show?

A

it shows the amount of energy at each stage in each organism in the food chain

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4
Q

what pyramid can have an irregular shape?

A

pyramid of numbers

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5
Q

why would a pyramid of numbers have an irregular shape?

A

it would have an irregular shape if a tree/bush/singular plant is the producer or if parasites feed off the top predator

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6
Q

what do the arrows in a food web show?

A

the flow/direction/change in energy between organisms

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7
Q

what is an advantage of a shorter food chain?

A

Less energy will have been lost by the time it gets to the top predator, so the predator gets a good amount of energy

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8
Q

species definition

A

a group of organisms which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring e.g. homosapiens

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9
Q

habitat def.

A

the place an organism lives e.g. caterpillars on a leaf

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10
Q

population def.

A

a group of organisms from the same species e.g. a group of caterpillars

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11
Q

community def.

A

all the population living in the ecosystem e.g. grass, ladybirds etc.

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12
Q

producers def.

A

organisms that use the sun to produce food by the process of photosynthesis e.g. all green plants

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13
Q

consumers def.

A

organisms that obtain energy through eating other organisms e.g. carnivores, omnivores, herbavores

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14
Q

herbivore def.

A

an organism that only feeds on plant material. e.g. cow, rabbit

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15
Q

carnivore def.

A

an organism that feeds on solely animal material. e.g. wolves, cats

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16
Q

omnivore def.

A

an organism that feeds on both plant and animal material e.g. bears, pigs

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17
Q

decomposer def.

A

an organism that breaks down organic material (dead bodies, waste) e.g. fungi, mould

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18
Q

ecosystem def.

A

The balance of all living and non living parts of a biological unit e.g. oak tree, pond

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19
Q

what is a biotic factor?

A

a living factor that can affect organisms in an ecosystem e.g. predators, disease, competition

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20
Q

what is an abiotic factor?

A

a non living factor that can affect the organisms in an ecosystem e.g. temperature, light, pH.

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21
Q

predator Def.

A

an organism which hunts other organisms e.g. owl, eagle

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22
Q

prey Def.

A

an organism which is hunted e.g. mice, rabbit

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23
Q

how much energy is lost at each stage in the food chain?

A

90%

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24
Q

what can energy be stored in?

A

undigested materials

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25
Q

when does competition occur?

A

when resources are in short supply

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26
Q

what are the two types of competition?

A

interspecific and intraspecific

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27
Q

what is intraspecific competition?

A

when individuals of the same species compete for the same resources in an ecosystem

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28
Q

what is interspecific competition?

A

when individuals of the same species compete for the same/similar resources

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29
Q

what type of competition is more intense and why?

A

intraspecific is more intense as they are competing for the exact same resources

30
Q

state some resources organisms compete for?

A

land, water, food, territory, light, root space

31
Q

list some abiotic factors?

A

pH, light intensity, temperature, moisture

32
Q

list some biotic factors?

A

disease, predation, food availability, grazing

33
Q

what is an indicator species?

A

an indicator species is an organism that serves as a measure of the environmental conditions that exist in a given locale by its absence or presence

34
Q

what does light intensity effect?

A

it effects the growth of photosynthesizing plants

35
Q

what is the effect of pollution?

A

it can be toxic and kill species in that area

36
Q

what is the effect of deforestation?

A

it destroys organisms habitats, making the organisms extinct

37
Q

list some ways of minimizing errors when using a pitfall trap?

A

set up multiple traps, make sure trap is level with ground, check regularly for organisms, have drainage holes

38
Q

list some ways of minimizing errors when using a quadrat?

A

make sure to throw randomly, make sure they are spread out, count the plants carefully

39
Q

list some ways of minimizing errors when using a pH meter?

A

wipe probe between uses, sample more than one area

40
Q

list some ways of minimizing errors when using a light meter?

A

don’t shadow the meter, make sure weather conditions are normal for the area you are sampling, dont place the meter in the shade if that is not the normal condition for the area

41
Q

niche Def.

A

the role an organism plays in the community

42
Q

what is a light meter used for!

A

it is used to measure the light intensity in a certain area

43
Q

what is a pH meter used for?

A

it is used to measure the soils pH levels in a given locale

44
Q

what is a moisture meter used for?

A

it is used to measure the soil moisture levels in a given locale

45
Q

what is a quadrat?

A

used to sample plants. should be thrown randomly and repeated several times

46
Q

what is a pitfall trap?

A

used to sample small insects by being placed in the ground. should be level with ground and checked regularly for insects.

47
Q

what chemicals are used to increase food yeild?

A

fertilisers and pesticides

48
Q

what are pesticides used for?

A

they are used to kill harmful pests that reduce crop yield.

49
Q

what are fertilisers used for?

A

they are used to increase crop yield by adding nitrates.

50
Q

nitrates?? sorry ladies idk how to words this

A

nitrates are dissolved in soil water and are absorbed into plants
nitrates are used to produce amino acids which are synthesized into plant proteins

51
Q

what happens when fertilisers leach into water?

A

this adds extra unwanted nitrates, this therefore increases the algae populations causing algal blooms.
these algal blooms block off light to aquatic plants. these plants die.
the dead plants and algae become food for the bacteria which increase in numbers due to this.
the bacteria uses up large quantities of oxygen, reducing the oxygen levels for other aquatic species, causing them to die

52
Q

what is bioaccumulation?

A

it is the gradual build up of substances such as pesticides or other chemicals in an organism/food chain. the chemical is passed along the food chain and can build up to lethal levels.

53
Q

what are 2 alternatives to pesticides and fertilizers?

A

GM - gmed crops means that instead of spraying crops with fertilisers as they can produce it themselves (changes the genome) (idk what this means ladies all I know is that I wrote this down for the last test)

Biological control - this is the control of a pest by the introduction of a natural predator or parasite of the pest

54
Q

what are nitrates?

A

chemical found in fertilisers which dissolves in soil water and is absorbed in plants

55
Q

what are amino acids?

A

chemicals which plants make from nitrogen. these can be used to synthesise protiens.

56
Q

algal bloom Def.

A

the rapid growth of algae due to excessive nitrates leaching into water

57
Q

bioaccumulation Def.

A

the build up of toxic substances in living organisms

58
Q

biological control Def.

A

the use of a natural predator to kill pests on crops

59
Q

what are genetically modified crops?

A

crops which have altered genetic material to have improved yield. used to reduce the use of fertilisers.

60
Q

speciation Def.

A

speciation is the evolution of two or more species from one original ancestor.

61
Q

what are the stages of speciation?

A

isolation, mutation, natural selection, speciation.

62
Q

describe the speciation stages?

A

the population becomes ISOLATED by a barrier, different MUTATIONS occur in each sub-population, NATURAL SELECTION selects for different mutations in each group, each sub-population until they become so genetically different that they are 2 different species

63
Q

what are the types of isolation barriers?

A

geographical (rivers, mountains)
ecological (pH, salinity)
behavioural (fertility windows)

64
Q

what is an adaptation?

A

an adaptation is a feature of an organism which helps them to survive

65
Q

what are two environmental factors which can increase the rate of new alleles produced by mutation?

A

UV radiation and chemicals e.g. bromine

66
Q

what is natural selection?

A

natural selection also known as ‘survival of the fittest’ occurs when there are selection pressures. the best adapted individuals survive to reproduce, passing the new alleles onto the next generation which now have that selective advantage

67
Q

mutation Def.

A

a random change in as organisms DNA. the only source of new alleles. These can be beneficial, have no effect, or harmful towards the species

68
Q

natural selection Def.

A

exists in members of a sexually reproducing population. this allows a population to evolve over time in response to changing environmental conditions

69
Q

what is variation?

A

variation occurs when there are selection pressures on a population. the best adapted individuals survive to reproduce and pass on the favourable alleles to the next gen.

70
Q

what is an allele?

A

a variation of a gene

Nat 5 biology (2 decks)

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