Unit Chapter 5 - Life Processes

Question 1

Abiotic Factors

Answer 1

Physical Factors such as light, temperature and water

Question 2

Autotroph

Answer 2

Organism that can capture light or chemical energy from the environment to make high energy substances such as carbohydrates (Plants)

Question 3

Biome

Answer 3

A large geographical region with particular climatic features in which a unique community lives

Question 4

Biosphere

Answer 4

All the living organisms on earth

Question 5

Enzyme function

Answer 5

Enzymes are biological catalysts that have the ability to increase rate of chemical reaction

Question 6

Biotic Factors

Answer 6

Biological Factors eg. Food, disease

Question 7

Carrying Capacity

Answer 7

Greatest population that can be supported sustainably in an area

Question 8

Cellulase

Answer 8

Enzyme that digests cellulose. Produced by some bacteria, fungi and protozoans

Question 9

Cellulose

Answer 9

Carbohydrate made of linked glucose molecules. Major component of plant cell walls and wood.

Question 10

Climax community

Answer 10

Community or organisms at the end of a primary succession

Question 11

Climatic climax community

Answer 11

The final stage of a plant

Question 12

Community

Answer 12

Populations of all species living in an area

Question 13

Density-dependent factor

Answer 13

Factor affected by density of population eg. Disease & Food Supply

Question 14

Density independent factor

Answer 14

Factor not influenced by population density of species eg. Volcanic eruption

Question 15

Ecological success

Answer 15

Sequences of changes in composition of a community as it is colonised and develops

Question 16

Ecosystem

Answer 16

Community or organisms living in an area, their inter-relationship and interactions with the abiotic environment

Question 17

Edaphic

Answer 17

Factor related to soil as it affects living organisms ie. alkaline soil may limit types of plants in area

Question 18

Exoskeleton

Answer 18

Skeleton on the outside of an organism such as in insects and crustaceans

Question 19

Genus

Answer 19

A group of closely related species

Question 20

Habitat

Answer 20

Place where an organism, species or population lives

Question 21

Heterotroph

Answer 21

Organism that gains its organic compounds for energy and growth from other organisms. Eg. Humans

Question 22

Hydrosere

Answer 22

term used to describe a successional sequence (a change over time in the plant and animal communities) in a freshwater environment

Question 23

Hydrosphere

Answer 23

All the water on earth in all forms including oceans, rivers, lakes, icecaps

Question 24

Inter-species competition

Answer 24

a form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resource in an ecosystem

Question 25

Intra-species

Answer 25

arising or occurring within a species

Question 26

Lithosere

Answer 26

term used to describe a successional sequence (a change over time in the plant and animal communities) starting on bare rock

Question 27

Lithosphere

Answer 27

Crust and upper layer of the Earth?s mantle

Question 28

Mycorrhizal fungi

Answer 28

Symbiotic fungi associated with plant roots. Gains carbohydrates from plants

Question 29

Niche

Answer 29

Role a species plays in its habitat

Question 30

Pioneer species

Answer 30

The first species to colonise an environment

Question 31

Plagioclimax

Answer 31

Community of species prevented from developing to a natural climax by human influence such as ploughing, grazing, burning

Question 32

Pollination

Answer 32

Transfer of male gametes of plants onto female parts of flowers

Question 33

Sere

Answer 33

the entire sequence of ecological communities successively occupying an area from the initial stage to the climax

Question 34

Sigmoidal population growth

Answer 34

Growth pattern of a population where abundant resources allow rapid growth followed by stabilisation as carrying capacity is reached

Question 35

Species

Answer 35

Group of organisms resembling each other closely which interbreed to produce fertile offspring

Question 36

Symbiosis

Answer 36

Relationship between organisms of different species that live together and may benefit one another

Question 37

Taxon

Answer 37

Group of organisms based on biological similarities

Question 38

Taxonomy

Answer 38

Study of organisms to assess how they may be grouped or classified

Question 39

Temporal Changes

Answer 39

Changes affected by time

Question 40

Turbulence

Answer 40

Roughness of the environment caused by chaotic air or water flow