Biological Science Flash Cards VERY NEW (bakar)⭐

very new version of the flashcards

Adaptations

Inherited characteristics that help organisms survive and reproduce

Structural Adaptations

Physical features that help an organism survive in its environment (e.g. polar bear blubber)

Behavioral Adaptations

Patterns of activity that help organisms survive in their environment (e.g. nocturnal)

Physiological Adaptions

Internal, automatic body processes that help an organism survive in its environment (e.g. venom/poison)

Endotherms

Animals that control their body temperature using internal energy (metabolism)

Ectotherms

Animals that rely on external sources to regulate body temperature (e.g. sunlight)

Endotherm Adaptations

1. Insulation

2. Shivering

3. High Basal Metabolic Rate

4. Vasodilation

5. Evaporative cooling

6. Behavioural adjustments

Ectotherm Adaptations

1. Behavioural - basking, burrowing, seeking shade

2. Physiological - Slowing metabolism, colour changes to absorb heat

Ecosystem

A complex biological system made up of living (biotic) components and non-living (abiotic) factors, involving communities of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment

Predation

A feeding relationship where one organism kills and eats another. The attacker is the predator, and the victim is the prey (e.g. lion kills and eats zebra)

Mutualism

A relationship when two organisms live closely together to benefit each other (e.g. fungus and algae in lichen)

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one (parasite) benefits and the other (host) is harmed (e.g. tapeworm on a human)

Competition

A relationship in which organisms from the same (interspecific) or different (interspecific) species compete to use the same limited resource (e.g. peacocks fighting over a peahen)

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected (e.g. barnacles on a whale)

Herbivory

a relationship in which animals (herbivores) feed on plants (e.g. giraffe eating leaves from tree)

Symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species (e.g. parasitism, mutualism, commensalism)

Biotic

Describes living factors in the environment. (e.g. plants, animals)

Abiotic

describes non-living factors in the environment (e.g. sunlight, air)

Ecology

The study that explores how ecosystems function

pH level

A measure of alkalinity or acidity, measured in a scale from 0.0 to 14.0.

pH level in water

Most aquatic organisms require a pH of 6.5-9.0. Drastic changes in pH can cause metabolic stress, reduce reproduction, or cause death in fish and other species

pH level in soil

Plants thrive in soil with a pH range of 6.0-7.0 due to nutrients being most available. A pH too high (Alkaline) makes soil less soluble, making nutrients harder to absorb for plants, and a pH too low (Acidic) causes organic matter to build up in the soil, using up nutrients (nitrogen) leaving it unavailable for plants

Salinity

Concentration of dissolved inorganic salts (sodium chloride) in water or soil. If salinity levels become too high it can stress aquatic animals, reduce breeding success, or force migration, leading to population decline

Salinity in water

If water salinity levels become too high it can stress aquatic animals, reduce breeding success, or force migration, leading to population decline

Temperature in water

If water temperature increases, less dissolved oxygen becomes present in the water which can lead to suffocation for aquatic animals. The high temperatures can also cause coral bleaching

Temperature in soil

Seeds require specific warmer soil temperatures to germinate effectively (microorganisms and soil bacteria); cold, wet soil can cause seeds to rot. Temperature in soil can affect root functions, with cold soil limiting root activity and overly warm oil stressing plants

Salinity in soil

If soil contains excessive dissolved salts (sodium chloride) it can hinder plant growth, cause structural decline, and reduce water uptake, often leading to bare, eroded surfaces

Abiotic Factors

Nonliving components of environment. (e.g air, water)

Biotic factors

living components of an environment (e.g. plants, animals)

Sampling methods

Used to determine the number and distribution of various populations and communities within an ecosystem (e.g. Quadrats, Transects)

Tullgren Funnel

Trap used to collect small animals from leaf litter or in a soil sample, used for small animals that don't like light (e.g. spiders, beetles)

Sweep Net

A net mounted on a stick swept through the air or long grass to collect insects, used for low flying insects or insects on grasses (e.g. butterflies, grasshoppers)

Pond Dipping

A net mounted on a stick used to catch small aquatic creatures (e.g. leeches, tadpoles)

Tree Beating

Shaking or hitting the branches of a tree and catching creatures on a wide cloth, used for tree-dwelling arthropods (e.g. caterpillars, ladybirds)

Capture-recapture

A portion of the population is captured, marked, and released. Later, another portion will be captured and the number of marked individuals within the sample is counted, used for very mobile animals

Pooters

A small jar used for collecting insects one at a time

Quadrats

A one metre square that is placed in an area of study to study population size of slow-moving organisms

Quadrat formula

Total population = (number in one quadrat × total area of quadrat) ÷ area of quadrat

Transects

A method used to study the distribution and number of stationary and slow-moving organisms along a line

Line transect

Recording organisms touching or crossing a line

Belt transect

A wider strip to sample more thoroughly, using quadrats to generate population data

Hormone

Chemical messengers (proteins) made by the endocrine system that are released into the blood stream and affect a specific organ

Tropisms

Directional growth responses in plants that occur in a specific direction because of external stimuli

Stimuli

Physical or chemical changes in the environment that trigger a reaction in a organism

Phototropism

A plant's growth response to light

Geotropism

A plant's growth response to gravity

Hydrotropism

A plant's growth response to water

Thigmotropism

A plant's growth response to touch

Thermotropism

A plant's growth response to temperature

Germination

The process where seeds sprout and begin to grow

Auxin

A growth hormone that helps control how plant cells grow

Obligate mutualism

Mutualism in which at least one species can't survive without its partner

Facultative mutualism

Mutualism in which both species can survive alone

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living in the same place at the same time, interacting with each other

Birth

Adding new individuals to a population, causing growth.

Immigration

When animals move into a population from another area, causing growth

Death

When individuals die, population decreases

Emigration

When individuals leave a population to live somewhere else, causing decrease

Population growth formula

Population growth = (births + immigration) - (deaths + emigration)

Carrying capacity

When population growth

= 0

Population Change Natural Factors

1. Fire

2. Drought

3. Flood

4. Seasonal changes/cycles

Population Change Man-made Factors

1. Agriculture

2. Introduced species

Introduced species

Species moved by humans to new geographic areas, either intentionally or accidentally that can disrupt local ecosystems

invasive species control methods

1. Using poison bait (e.g. 1080 for feral cats and wild dogs)

2.Manually trapping, catching and killing humanely

3. Destroy breeding grounds/eggs