Living Environment Regents Review

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and with their own environment

Species

A group of organisms that share certain characteristics and can mate with one another, producing fertile offspring

Population

All the individuals of a single species that live in specific area

Community

A combination of all the different populations that live and interact in the same enviorment

Ecosystem

All the living and non-living things that interact in a species area;a subdivision of the enviorment

Autotroph

An organism that produces its own food; the source of energy for all other living things on earth

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food; a consumer

Producer

An organism that makes its own food from light energy and inorganic materials

Consumer

An organisms that obtains its energy from producers

Decomposer

An organism, generally a bacteria or organisms, that consumes dead organisms and organic waste

Food chain

A representation that identifies the specific relationships among organisms; SHOWS the FLOW OF ENERGY.

Food web

A representation of many interconnected food chains that shows the feeding relationships among

Observations

Any information that is collected with any of the senses

Data

The results of specific traits or tests completed during experiments

Hypothesis

A testable statement that predicts a relationship between cause and effect

Sexual reproduction

A method of reproduction that involves two parents producing offspring that are generally different from either parent; VARIATION

Asexual reproduction

A method of reproduction in which all the genes passed on to the offspring come from a single individual or parent; GENETICALLY IDENTICAL

Stimulus

Any change in the enviorment that causes an organism to react

Homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment even when the external environment changes

Evolution

The process by which species have changed overtime; COMMON ANCESTOR

Nucleus

A large structure within a cell; stores generic information including chromosomes over time

Animo acids

Any one of several building blocks of protein; only 20 different ones exist

Enzyme

Proteins that speed up the rate of chemical reactions in living things; CATALYSTS

Biotic

The living parts of the enviornment

Abiotic

The nonliving parts of the environment

Habitat

The place where a plant or animal lives

Niche

The specific role played by an organisms or a population of organisms in the ecosystem

Limiting factor

Any factor in the environment that limits the size of a population; amount of food available, temp, etc

Biodiversity

The variety of species in an area; MORE BIODIVERSITY= MORE STABLE ECOSYSTEM

Stem

The main stalk of a plant

Embryo

An organism in the early stages of development

Guard cell

Specialized cells that control the opening and closing the pores (stomates) on the surface of the leaf

Extinction

The disappearance of all members of a species on earth

Global warming

An increase in earth's average surface caused by an increase in greenhouse gases

Cell

The basic unit of structure and function that makes up all organisms

Chromosomes

A thick thread like structure that contains genetic information in the form of DNA

Ribosomes

Tiny structures in the cell that are the sites of protein production

Vacuoles

Storage sacs within the cytoplasm of a cell that may contain either wastes or useful materials, such as water or food

Mitochondria

Create energy (ATP) for the cell/organism

Mutation

Any alternation in the sequence of DNA; contributes to evolution; can only be passed to next generation if it occurs in the GAMETE.

Selective breeding

The process of choosing a few organisms with deliberate traits to serve as the parents of the next generation

Genetic engineering

A set of technologies that humans use to Alter the genetic instructions of an organism; Recombinant DNA, Gel Electrophoresis, Gene therapy

Fossil record

A collection of fossils used to represent earths history; evidence for evolution

Natural selection

The process by which the organisms that are best adapted to specific environment survive and produce more offspring than organisms that are not as well adapted

Relative dating

Determining the order of past events without determining absolute age

Period

Length of time

Trait

characteristics

Bacteria

Any one of many single-celled organisms sometimes without a distinct nucleus

Fungi

A kingdom of organisms that are mostly multicellular have cell walls made of chitin and are heterotrophic

Virus

A non living particle of proteins and genetic material that reproduces by invading the cell of a living organsm

Pathogen

An organism that invades the body causing disease; virus, bacteria, fungus

Vaccine

A substance made of weakened, killed or partial pathogens and designed to protect the body from future invasions of that pathogen

Antibiotic

Medicine that inhabits the growth of bacteria

Leaf

Flattened structure attached to stem where photosynthesis occurs

Hormone

A chemical messenger produced in the endocrine glands; PROTEINS; WORK BASED ON THEIR SHAPE. attach to target cell with complementary receptor.

Crop

Food that is grown

Placenta

The organ that enables nutrients and oxygen to pass from the mother's blood to the fetus and waste products to pass from the fetus to the mothers blood

Communication

Exchange of information between cells; involves RECEPTORS (proteins with specific shapes)

Drug

Substance that has an effect when introduced to the body

Fat

Compound made of fatty acid molecules

Liver

Large organ involved in neutralizing toxins

Pituitary gland

The master gland of the endocrine system ; located at the base of the brain

Zygote

The cell that result from joining of the egg and sperm; result of fertillization

Fetus

The unborn developing young of an animal during the later stages

Photosynthesis

Takes radiant energy of the sun turns it into the bonds of sugar molecules (chemical bond energy); this occurs mostly in the chloroplasts of the cell

Stomates

Small pores in leaves; REGULATES what comes in and goes out of the leaf (gases)

Respiration

Organisms get energy by breaking the bonds of sugar molecules; the released energy is used to make ATP

Aerobic respiration

Requires oxygen and makes more ATP energy from sugar; occurs in the MITOCHONDRIA

Anaerobic respiration

Doesn't require oxygen; creates minimal energy

Diffusion

Movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Uses no energy

Active transport

Requires the use of energy; movement against the gradient: LOW to HIGH

Osmosis

the diffusion of water in or out of a cell (H-->L)

Neuron

Nerve cell

abiotic

not living

active transport

move from low to high concentration, using energy

adaptation

inherited trait that allows organisms to survive in their environment

allergy

extreme immune response to a harmless substance

amino acid

building blocks of proteins coded by mRNA

antibody

shape specific protein made by the immune system that attaches to pathogens

antigen

molecules on surface of pathogens the immune system recognizes as foreign

asexual reproduction

all genes passed to offspring come from one parent and offspring are identical to parent

ATP

energy molecule for cells

autotroph

makes its own food

biodiversity

variety of living things in an area, creates ecosystem stability

biotic

living

carrying capacity

the largest population of any species an ecosystem can support

cell membrane

thin, flexible barrier around a cell, regulates what enters and leaves the cell; has receptors for COMMUNICATION; bilayer

cell wall

supports plant cells

chromosome

condensed DNA

circulatory system

transports materials (nutrients, gases) around the body; Red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight pathogens.

climax community

last community to move in during succession, require many nutrients and most stable

clone

genetically identical copies made by asexual reproduction

common ancestor

organism that different species both evolved from

competition

fighting for the same resources

control group

the group that is the experiment is compared to, nothing is changed; the group left alone.

data analysis

use of tables, graphs, and statistics

decomposer

breaks down dead organisms (bacteria, fungi)

deforestation

cutting down trees

differentiation

developing cells become specialized for specific jobs

diffusion

move from high to low concentration without energy