Vocab Flashcards
ecology
study of the abundance, distribution, and interactions of organisms in relation to other organisms and environmental conditions
ecological systems
biological entities that have their own internal processes and interact with their external surroundings
species
a group of organisms that interbreed with each other and produce fertile offspring
population
individuals of the same species living in a particular area
community
all populations of species living together in a particular area
ecosystem
one or more communities of living organisms interacting with their nonliving physical and chemical environments
biosphere
all ecosystems on earth functioning as a single entity
phenotype
an attribute of an organism, such as its behaviour, morphology or physiology
genotype
the set of genes an organism carries
evolution
change in the genetic composition of a population over time
natural selection
the frequency of genes in a population can change because some phenotypes increase the chances for survival and reproduction
fitness
the survival and reproduction of an individual
producer
an organism that uses photosynthesis to convert chemical energy into organic compounds (autotrophs)
consumer
an organism that obtains its energy from other organisms (heterotroph)
mixotroph
an organism that obtains its energy from more than one source
predator
an organism that kills and partially or entirely consumes another individual
parasitoid
an organism that lives within and consumes the tissues of a living host, eventually killing it
parasites
organisms that live and feed in or on another organism, while rarely killing their hosts
pathogen
organism that infers illness/disease on another organism
herbivore
an organism that consumes producers such as plants and algae
competition
an interaction resulting in negative effects between two species that depend on the same limiting resource
mutualism
an interaction between two species in which each species in which each species receives benefits from the other
symbiotic relationship
when two different types of organisms live in a close physical relationship
commensalism
an interaction in which two species live in close association and one species receives a benefit (the other has no benefit or cost)
scavenger
an organism that consumes dead animals
detrivore
an organism that feeds on dead organic matter and waste products that are collectively known as detritus
decomposer
organisms that break down dead organic material into simpler elements and compounds that can be recycled through the ecosystem
habitat
the place, or physical setting in which an organism lives
niche
the range of abiotic and biotic conditions an organism can tolerate
manipulative experiment
a hypothesis is tested by altering a factor hypothesised to be the cause of a phenomenon
natural experiment
an approach to hypothesis testing that relies on natural variation in the environment
mathematical model
a representation of a system with a set of equations that correspond to hypothesised relationships among the system’s components (relies on future predictions)
