Biology Lecture Notes: ai Ecology, Anatomy, and Physiology

Flashcards created based on lecture notes covering key concepts from ecology, anatomy, physiology, genetics, and biotechnology.

What is the highest level of organization in ecology?

The biosphere.

Define an ecosystem in ecological terms.

It is the biotic (living) community and its abiotic (nonliving) environment.

What are autotrophic components?

Living organisms that can make their own food, like green plants using photosynthesis.

What is mutualism in species interactions?

A relationship where both organisms benefit from each other.

What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

They consume dead organisms, releasing nutrients back into the soil, water, and atmosphere.

What is the definition of a biome?

The largest geographic biotic unit characterized by major communities of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions.

What is the primary energy source for ecosystems?

Energy from the sun.

What is the difference between primary succession and secondary succession?

Primary succession occurs on newly formed land, while secondary succession occurs in areas previously inhabited that are disturbed.

What role do producers play in the food chain?

Producers make their own food from inorganic compounds and serve as the energy foundation for the ecosystem.

What are the main functions of the skeletal system?

To protect internal organs and support body weight.

What is the role of the heart in the cardiovascular system?

It serves as a pump to deliver blood throughout the body.

What type of muscle is involuntary and found in the heart?

Cardiac muscle.

What is the main function of alveoli in the lungs?

Gas exchange.

What are the key features of the endocrine system?

It maintains homeostasis through the secretion of hormones.

What is natural selection?

The process where organisms best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Define codominance in genetics.

A situation where both alleles are expressed equally in the phenotype of the heterozygote.

What is recombinant DNA technology?

A technique in genetic engineering where DNA is altered and introduced into a host to change its phenotype.

What is hemostasis?

The process of blood clotting.

What are antigens and how do they relate to blood types?

They are substances that induce an immune response; different blood types are determined by the presence of specific antigens on red blood cells.