Science AT4 - 8.3, 8.4

8.3 Forces and Fields, 8.4 Ecology. Flashcards generated from AI so may be slightly inaccurate

Organism

An individual living being.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

Community

Populations of organisms living and interacting with each other in an area.

Ecosystem

A biological community of organisms interacting with each other and the abiotic factors of their environment.

Biosphere

The sum of all Earth's ecosystems.

Carnivore

An animal whose diet consists primarily of other animals.

Herbivore

An animal whose diet consists primarily of plant matter.

Omnivore

An animal whose diet consists of both plant matter and other animals.

Producers

Autotrophic organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Species

A distinct group of living organisms capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.

Biological control

The introduction of a species to reduce a pest population.

Symbiosis

Close and prolonged interactions between organisms of two different species.

Competition

Species competing for limited resources in the same area at the same time.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an organism.

Environment

The surroundings in which an organism lives.

Adaptation

Anything that enables an organism to better survive in its environment.

Structural adaptation

Physical features of an organism that enhance survival.

Physiological adaptation

Processes occurring within an organism that enhance survival.

Behavioural adaptation

Actions of an organism that enhance survival.

Ecosystem

A biological community of organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Predation

A relationship where one organism (predator) consumes another organism (prey).

Mutualism

A relationship where both species benefit.

Parasitism

A relationship where one species benefits while harming another.

Allelopathy

A symbiotic relationship where one organism produces a chemical that impacts growth, reproduction or survival ofanother.

Biomass

The total mass of organisms in a given population.

Newton's First Law

The law of inertia; an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Newton's Second Law

The law of acceleration; F = ma, states that force equals mass times acceleration.

Newton's Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Weight

The force with which an object is attracted to Earth, dependent on mass and gravity.

Mass

The measure of matter in an object, remains constant.

Friction

A retarding force that opposes motion and produces heat.

Field forces

Forces that do not require contact; include gravitational, magnetic, electric forces.

Contact forces

Forces requiring direct contact to occur, including friction, normal force, and tension.

Electric field

A region around a charged particle where other charged particles experience a force.

Magnetic field

A region around a magnetic material where magnetic forces are exerted.

Satellite

A celestial body or artificial object that orbits a planet.

Electromagnet

A magnet made from an electric current.

Newton

The unit of force in the metric system.

Drag

A type of fluid friction that opposes a body moving through a fluid.

Terminal velocity

The constant speed reached by an object falling when the force of drag equals the force of gravity.

Ecology

The study of interactions between living organisms and their environment.

Trophic level

A position in the food chain or food web denoting an organism's level in the hierarchy.