Living Environment Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the Living Environment Regents High School Examination.

Mitochondria

An organelle (or structure) found in cells where ATP is produced.

Biological evolution

The process by which the frequency of a gene in a population changes over time.

Humans altering ecosystems

The process where humans alter ecosystems which can result in unintended consequences.

Evolutionary advantage

Reducing competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight, an advantage in evolutionary terms.

Reduce use of finite resources

A positive environmental outcome where finite resources will not be depleted as quickly.

Higher number of surviving offspring

A positive characteristic giving one species the greatest advantage over other species.

Ecological Succession

The process where the community becomes more stable over time.

Coexist

Where species can successfully coexist because they do not compete for limited resources.

Fluorescent tags

Uses fluorescent tags to allow scientists to visualize specific proteins as they are synthesized inside cells.

Ribosome

An organelle in cells that would be studied when using fluorescent tags to visualize protein synthesis.

Theropod dinosaurs and birds are related

A type of dinosaur that share a common ancestor with birds.

Energy pyramid levels

At each level some energy is released as heat causing the amount of stored energy between level 1 and level 4 to decrease.

Changes affecting the species in the future

Changes in the egg cells in the ovaries of the plants' flowers.

Producing resources for goods and energy

Can have both positive and negative effects when producing resources and energy.

Cellular process A

A cellular process relating to the process of fertilization.

Cellular process B

A cellular process relating to the process of recombination.

Food Web

Would most likely cause decrease in the snake population if the mice population decreases.

Populations of organisms in an Arctic food chain

Would most likely affect the survival of all the other populations in this food chain if algae decreases.

Digestion and diffusion

The process involving Digestion and diffusion in the breakdown of protein and the absorption of the amino acids into the bloodstream.

Tuatara Genome

Has enabled them to live on a part of Earth that has not gone through any environmental changes since the time of dinosaurs.

Hormones and chemicals produced by nerve cells

Primary chemical messengers used in communication within the human body.

Risk of selective breeding process

Genetic diversity in the breed may become limited over time.

Inability to reproduce

Errors during the process of meiosis.

Energy flow through an ecosystem

Represents the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

Cell membrane

The most important cell structure in obtaining oxygen from its environment is the Cell membrane.

Specialized gamete

Its nucleus carries half the genetic information needed to form a zygote.

Producer organism's first repsonse

Increase glucose synthesis if the amounts of carbon dioxide and water available increase.

Spaying surgery

Two organs that are most likely removed from the female cat during the spaying surgery are the ovaries and uterus.

Consumption of fish from contaminated waters

The chemicals may affect their development or harm potential unborn children.

Nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Two abiotic resources present in an ecosystem.

Differences in the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2)

The activity of autotrophs increases during the summer, removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

Altering the DNA of a muscle cell

Change one amino acid in a protein a muscle cell produces.

Receptor molecule

A molecule that allows the cell to respond to changes in blood glucose levels.

Cells will not produce insulin

Will not respond appropriately to changes in blood glucose levels.

Patterns of inheritance for blood and skin disorders

The blood disorder can be inherited, and there are factors associated with the skin disorder that may be inherited.

Ecosystem disruption with the loss of a keystone species

An increase in the plant populations.

Reintroducing the wolves

Increase the stability of the natural environment.

Phenomenon of changing flower color

The genes of the hydrangea plants can be turned on and off by different soil pH levels.

Change in the environmental conditions

Changing agricultural practices can help to restore environmental stability to certain locations.

Comparison of blue and killer whales in terms of concentration of PCBs

Eat krill, which have a lower accumulation of PCBs than penguins and elephant seals.

Description of the phenomenon of exploding

This behavior has resulted in greater reproductive success of the ants, since it kills the enemies who would have fed on their offspring.

Organism M (Figure on page 13)

The organism in the diagram that became extinct about 60 million years ago.

Why loon populations did not show a rapid change in size

Take seven years to reach sexual maturity.

Claim that earlier someone stops smoking

Men that continued to smoke had an approximately 16% risk of death, and those that stopped at age 30 had a lower risk.

A and F (Figure on page 18)

The two labeled structures that function to produce gametes and hormones.

A decline and extinction of many species of detritivores

The decline and extinction of many species of detritivores may have negative consequences on the stability of an ecosystem.

Factor influencing enzyme breakdown rate (of plastic)

One factor that would influence the rate at which the experimental enzyme breaks down this type of plastic.

Enzyme not able to break down all types of plastics

The enzyme is not able to break down all types of plastics.

Concern before using ultrasonic repellent

One concern other than its effectiveness.

Experiment Duke scientists performed on mice with the yellow fur color gene

Explain how epigenetics could be the cause of differences observed in identical twins.

Expigenetics changes

Explain why epigenetic changes are not usually considered to be mutations.

A Scorpion’s Secret Weapon Ingredient

Explain why the number of predators that feed exclusively on scorpions would decrease over time.

Medicinal herb, Fritillaria delavayi

Identify the original source of the brown variation.

Fritillary grows human

Predict which flower color will be more common in areas accessible by humans after 20 years.

Continued efforts to preserve this species by cultivation

What argument could be made to justify continued efforts to preserve this species by cultivation?

Why Fritillary taking five years to produce flower

Support your answer.

Consumers in the feeding sequence

Identify the food chain, (a), (b) or (c), in which there would be the least amount of energy available to the last consumer in the feeding sequence

Uterus in the process of human reproduction

Describe a role of the uterus in the process of human reproduction.

A transplanted uterus

Explain why a woman’s body would reject a transplanted uterus if she does not take the medication.

Human actions

Make a claim as to how human actions have affected biodiversity.

Healthy pancreas eats a starchy snack

Explain why the pancreas would secrete more hormone a short time later.

Lack of nutrients affects cell process

Explain how the lack of nutrients can impact the cellular process needed to move molecule A into this cell.

Mitochondria is essential

Explain why mitochondria are essential to the survival of complex organisms.

Mitochondrial Disease

Provide evidence from the mitochondrial inheritance chart that supports the claim that mitochondria are usually inherited from the mother.

mitochondrial diseases and cell type

State which cell type would probably be most affected by mitochondrial diseases.

Stratospheric aerosol scattering

State one reason for supporting the use of this technology.

Reduce carbon emissions

Explain why it would be important to continue efforts to reduce carbon emissions even if this technology were to be used.