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Science 20 > Unit D Vocabulary > Flashcards

Unit D Vocabulary Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Abiotic Factor

A

A physical, non-living part of the environment.

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2
Q

Ecosystem

A

All the organisms in an area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact.

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3
Q

Habitat

A

All the biotic and abiotic factors present in an area that encourage the reproduction and survival of a particular organism.

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4
Q

Nutrient

A

Any element or compound that an organism needs for metabolism, growth, or other functioning.

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5
Q

Algae

A

Microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that play a vital role in marine and freshwater ecosystems.

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6
Q

Harmful Algal Blooms

A

A rapid growth of algae that can deplete oxygen dissolved in the water and block the sunlight required by other organisms in the aquatic ecosystem.

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7
Q

Biomass

A

Dry mass of all the living organisms occupying a habitat

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8
Q

Ecology

A

The study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical environment.

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9
Q

Population

A

A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same area at the same time.

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10
Q

Biological Community

A

Interacting populations living in a certain area at a certain time.

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11
Q

Symbiosis

A

A long-lasting, ecological relationship that benefits at least one of two different species that live in close contact.

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12
Q

Mutualism

A

A symbiotic relationship in which organisms of both species benefit.

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13
Q

Commensalism

A

A form of symbiosis in which one organism benefits, and the other organism is neither helped nor harmed.

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14
Q

Parasitism

A

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism, called the parasite, derives benefit at the expense of another organism, called the host.

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15
Q

Predation

A

An interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, called the prey.

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16
Q

Competition

A

An interaction in which two or more organisms compete for the same limited resource.

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17
Q

Producer

A

An organism that uses light energy to synthesize sugars and other organic compounds through the process of photosynthesis.

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18
Q

Consumer

A

An organism that uses other organisms as a source of energy.

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19
Q

Primary Consumer (Herbivore)

A

An organism that eats green plants, algae, or phytoplankton.

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20
Q

Secondary Consumer

A

An organism that eats herbivores.

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21
Q

Tertiary Consumer

A

An organism that eats secondary consumers.

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22
Q

Carnivore

A

An organism that kills and eats other animals.

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23
Q

Omnivore

A

An organism that eats both plants and animals.

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24
Q

Scavenger

A

A bird or animal that feeds on dead and decaying animals that it did not kill itself.

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25
Q

Decomposer

A

An organism that breaks down complex, organic molecules into simpler molecules.

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26
Q

Trophic Level

A

The division of species within an ecosystem based upon its energy source.

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27
Q

Food Chain

A

The pathway along which food is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

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28
Q

Food Web

A

The interconnecting feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

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29
Q

Transect

A

A straight line perpendicular to the baseline along which ecological measurements are taken.

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30
Q

Transpiration

A

The loss of water vapor from a plant through its leaves.

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31
Q

Humidity

A

The atmosphere’s moisture content.

32
Q

Biogeochemical Cycle

A

A diagram representing the movement of elements and compounds between living and nonliving components of an ecosystem.

33
Q

Photosynthesis

A

The process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches.

34
Q

Cellular Respiration

A

The process by which cells convert the chemical energy stored in sugars into energy the cell can use.

35
Q

Carbon Sink

A

A system that removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases into the atmosphere.

36
Q

Peat

A

Deep layers of mosses and plants unable to completely decompose due to the lack of oxygen in water saturated soil.

37
Q

Ozone

A

A molecule comprised of three atoms of oxygen - O3

38
Q

Nitrogen Fixation

A

The process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia.

39
Q

Nitrifying Bacteria

A

A type of soil bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrates and nitrites.

40
Q

Denitrifying Bacteria

A

A type of soil bacteria that converts nitrates in soil into nitrogen gas, releasing this gas into the atmosphere.

41
Q

Denitrification

A

The process of converting nitrates in the soil into nitrogen gas.

42
Q

Lichen

A

An organism form by symbiotic association of a fungus and a photosynthetic alga.

43
Q

Endangered Species

A

A species that may soon no longer exist within certain regions and/or may be threatened with imminent extinction.

44
Q

Habitat Fragmentation

A

The conversion of formally continuous habitat into patches separated by non-habitat areas.

45
Q

Habitat Destruction

A

The permanent alteration of vital characteristics in an organism’s habitat.

46
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of life in all its forms, including ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.

47
Q

Invasive Species

A

A species that does not normally occur in an area, is introduced by human action, and then expands to become a breeding population that threatens the area’s biodiversity.

48
Q

Primary Succession

A

The process of changing – in successive stages – an environment from an area of bare rock and few species to a complex community.

49
Q

Pioneer Species

A

Simple and hardy plants at first invade or colonize barren ground and change the environment to support more complex lifeforms.

50
Q

Humus

A

The organic component of soil created from the decomposed bodies of organisms.

51
Q

Climax Communities

A

The stable community that results from the process of succession.

52
Q

Terraforming

A

The process of transforming the planet to be more Earthlike.

53
Q

Secondary Succession

A

The return in stages to a stable climax community from an area that has had its vegetation – but not its soil – removed.

54
Q

Sustainable Development

A

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.

55
Q

Doubling Time

A

The amount of time it takes for a population to double its size.

56
Q

Exponential Growth

A

The rapid growth in population caused by a constant increase.

57
Q

Exponential Curve (J-Curve)

A

The distinctive shape of the graph for a population that is regularly increasing and growing exponentially.

58
Q

Closed Population

A

A group of organisms that exists in the natural or artificial setting where immigration and emigration do not occur, and numbers are only affected by births and deaths.

59
Q

Open Population

A

A group of organisms that exists in a natural setting where births, deaths, immigration, and emigration affect the population numbers.

60
Q

Carrying Capacity

A

The maximum number of individuals that can be sustained for an indefinite period in a given ecosystem.

61
Q

S-Curve

A

The distinctive shape of the graph for a population limited by factors such as disease, competition, and famine.

62
Q

Generation

A

A single step in the line of descent – grandmother, mother, and daughter represent three generations.

63
Q

Morphology

A

The detailed shape and form of an animal.

64
Q

Fossil Record

A

The record of all life on earth as preserved by all fossils that exist, whether dug up or still in the ground.

65
Q

Gradualism

A

The theory that changes to the organisms in a population occurs slowly and steadily over Earth’s history.

66
Q

Punctuated Equilibrium

A

The theory that changes to the organisms in a population can occur in rapid spurts followed by long periods of little change.

67
Q

Gene

A

The basic unit of inheritance passed from parent to offspring.

68
Q

Biotic Factor

A

A living organism in the environment.

69
Q

Mutation

A

A change in genetic instruction.

70
Q

Variation

A

A difference in the frequency of genes and traits among individual organisms within a population.

71
Q

Adaptation

A

Any structural trait or behavioral trait that improves an organism’s success at surviving and reproducing in a particular environment.

72
Q

Theory of Evolution

A

A theory stating that the nature of a population changes gradually over time.

73
Q

Theory of Natural Selection

A

A theory stating that evolution takes place because more organisms are produced than can survive, and that only the organisms best suited to their environment survive to reproduce and, in turn, pass on their advantageous traits to their offspring.

74
Q

Darwinian Fitness

A

The reproductive success of an organism.

75
Q

Asexual Reproduction

A

The production of identical offspring from a single parent cell by budding, by the division of a single cell, or by the division of the entire organism into two or more parts.

Science 20 (2 decks)

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