PGCC BIO 1010 Unit 1

Steps of the scientific method

• observation

• hypothesis

• experimental design

• test

• draw concusions

experimental group

variable being tested in comparison to the control group

control group

A group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment or variable, used as a baseline to compare against the experimental group.

Independent variable

the factor in an experiment or study that you change, control, or manipulate to test its effects on another factor

dependent variable

what researchers measure in an experiment to see how it responds to changes

Why are control variables important?

control variables can help the researcher accurately test the value of an independent variable on a dependent variable

biology

the science that defines life

branches of biology

botany, the study of plants

zoology, the study of animals

Microbiology, the study of microorganisms

Ecology, the study of interactions of organisms with one another and their physical environment (living & non-living)

Levels of ecological organization

• individual

• population

• community

• ecosystem

• biosphere

individual

A single organism.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area.

Community

All the populations of different species that live and interact in an area.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their nonliving environment

Biosphere

the global sum of all ecosystems.

What are the two specific features necessary to construct an ecosystem?

biotic and abiotic

biotic

Living components

abiotic

Non-living components

solar energy undergoes many transformations as it passes through an ecosystem. The various levels are referred to as ____________ levels.

trophic

Producers; other name

self-feeders (autotrophs)

Primary consumers (also called a)

feed on producers (herbivores)

Secondary consumers (also called a)

feed on primary (carnivore or omnivore)

Tertiary consumers

feed on lower levels

higher level consumers

quaternary consumers

What is the role of a detritivore in the food chain? Give an example of this organism.

eat dead plants, animal parts, and waste

i.e. worms, fungi

What is the role of a decomposer in the food chain? Give an

example of this type of organism

eat remains/products of organisms

i.e. bacteria, fungi

What is the difference between food chains and food webs?

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains,

showing the multiple pathways through which energy and nutrients

flow in an ecosystem.

Living organisms, including carnivores and herbivores, can convert only

_________ % of what they consume into their own mass.

i. The remaining _____% is diverted to what?

10%

i. 90%; energy

In understanding the flow of energy in an ecosystem, it is important to

define the biomass of the given area. What does biomass refer to?

total weight of organic material in a trophic level

Three inputs are needed for photosynthesis to occur. Explain where

each of these inputs comes from and what it will be used for in

photosynthesis:

light energy: the sun

water: from the ground through roots

carbon dioxide: the air

together they build glucose; component of energy

There are two outputs produced during photosynthesis. Explain how

each is created during photosynthesis and what will happen to each.

Sugar: produced by chloroplasts

Oxygen: what the producer releases into the air

sugar+oxygen= makes the ATP create energy

How can you tell which parts of a plant are photosynthesizing? What is the name

of the pigment required to capture sunlight energy?

1. the leaves will be green

2. the green pigment comes from chlorophyll

The organelle that houses chlorophyll and where photosynthesis takes place is the __________________________.

chloroplast

Write the complete equation for photosynthesis below:

CO₂ + H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + O₂

How do living organisms fuel their actions?

Cellular Respiration

What sorts of organisms perform cellular respiration?

all of them

Why do organisms perform cellular respiration?

to make energy to do things; ATP

Where does cellular respiration take place?

mitochondria

What are the major inputs and outputs of cellular respiration? Write the

equation below the diagram below.

inputs: glucose and oxygen

outputs: carbon dioxide, ATP, water

C₆H₁₂O₆+O₂ → CO₂+H₂O+ATP

Impact of industrial agriculture on the local ecosystems and resources

i.Loss of biodiversity

ii. Overuse of natural resources

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation is the buildup of toxic substances in the tissues

of organisms in food chains

Why do toxins accumulate more in higher trophic levels?

less biomass to distribute it

Types of carbon cycles

Fast pathway: breathing; carbon is removed and returned to atmosphere

Slow: fossil fuels; carbon enters atmosphere when fossil fuels burned

what are fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are formed when plants and animals are not completely

decomposed

The remnants are converted into coal, oil, natural gas, or rock (such as limestone)

Carbon returned to the atmosphere naturally returns to the fast

pathway very slowly

Burning fossil fuels moves carbon from the ground to the air. What impact does this have?

creates the greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gasses increased levels of

CO₂, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)

The greenhouse effect is…

the retention of heat in the atmosphere due to the insulating effects of greenhouse gasses.

Characteristics of living things; list nemonic device

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order

regulation

growth and development

energy utilization

response to stimuli

reproduction

evolution

3 domain classification stystem

bacteria

archea

eukarya

describe bacteria

primitive

organs just float around

non complex

on surfaces

describe archea

primative

organs just float around

non complex

harsh environments

describe eukarya

true organisms with various organs/ organ systems

biological kingdoms; give an example of each; list mnemonic device

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monera; bacteria, archea

prostita; algae

fungi; mushrooms and molds

plantae; trees, flowering plants

animalia; insects, birds, mammals

levels of organization; characteristic; list mnemonic device

mommy centers tiny orfaces ornamentally in police company’s ecosystems

molecular; 2 or more atoms

cellular; basic unit of living matter

tissue level; cells working together

organ level; tissues working together

organ system level; organs working together

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
individual level; organism or living thing

population level; interacting individuals of same species

community level; different species interacting

ecosystem level; interaction between living and non-living

What makes pink?

sodium carbonate+phenolphthalein

global warming

the heating of the planet due to greenhouse gases

describe what happens during global warming

• energy from sun passes through the atmosphere and warms Earth’s surface

• some energy is reflected back towards space and escapes to the atmosphere

• some energy is absorbed in the greenhouse gases and remains in atmostphere, heats air

What are some results of global warming?

rising global temps

changes in global weather patterns

rising sea level

increase in insect population

what can one do about global warming

decrease fossil fuel use

nrg conservation

political action

new nrg resources

solar nrg

light from sun into electrical nrg

wind power

wind turbines catch wind and turn it into nrg

hydroelectric pwr

kinetic nrg from moving water to turbines (dams)

nuclear pwr

atoms smashed together make nrg

overpopulation

population exceeds capacity of the environment

nonrenewable resources

resources that cannot be replaced or cannot be replaced in our lifetime

renewable resources

resources that replace themselves quickly/naturally and within our lifetime

Population principles

• biotic potenial

• environmental resistance

biotic potenial; factors

maximum rates populations can increase under ideal condition

factors: large farms, no predators, high birth rates

environmental resistance; factors

Limiting factors that prevent populations from reaching biotic potential

factors: low food, disease, predators, lack of space

biotic potenial factors

density dependent factors

density independent factors

density dependent factors definition; examples

population-limiting factors whose effects intensify as the population increases in size

ex: food supply, disease, predatation, space

density independent factors definition; examples

“Bad luck” events that limit population growth

ex: natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes

Population growth curve types

S curve

J curve

Carrying capacity

S curve; aka

population grows and then plateaus bc of environmental resistance; logistic growth

J curve; aka

growth of orgs in pop with no restrictions; exponential growth

carrying capacity

number of orgs an ecosystem can support indefinitely w/o depleting resources faster than they can be replaced

population cycles

prey inc → pred inc

prey dec→ pred dec

Total fertility rate (TFR); TFR avg

avg # of children that can be born to a person over their lifetime (country specific); 2.1

population profile

graph that shoes age distribution in pops