Studied by 0 peopleEcology
The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment
community
A group of different species that live together in one area
ecosystem
includes all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, rocks, and other nonliving things in a given area
biome
a major regional or global community of organisms
biotic
factors are living things, such as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria
abiotic
factors are nonliving things such as moisture, temperature, wind, sunlight, and soil
biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
keystone species
a species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem
Producers
Organisms that make their own food
autotrophs
Organisms that make their own food
consumers
An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.
Heterotroph
An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.
Chemosynthesis
process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates
food chain
a sequence that links species by their feeding relationships
Herbivore
A consumer that eats only plants.
carnivore
A consumer that eats only animals.
Omnivore
Consumers that eat both plants and animals.
Detritivore
organism that eats dead organic matter
decomposers
Organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms
specialist
A consumer that primarily eats one specific organism or feeds on a very small number of organisms.
generalist
consumers that have a varying diet
trophic levels
levels of nourishment in a food chain
food web
A complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels
hydrologic cycle
also known as the water cycle, is the circular pathway of water on Earth from the atmosphere, to the surface, below ground, and back
biogeochemical cycle
the movement of a particular chemical through the biological and geological, or living and nonliving, parts of an ecosystem
nitrogen fixation
Certain types of bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia
biomass
is a measure of the total dry mass of organisms in a given area
energy pyramid
is a diagram that compares energy used by producers, primary consumers, and other trophic levels
habitat
all of the biotic and abiotic factors in the area where an organism lives
ecological niche
composed of all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce
competition
when two organisms fight for the same limited resources
Predation
An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.
symbiosis
A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.
Mutualism
an interspecies interaction in which both organisms benefit from one another
Commensalism
A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
Parasitism
A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed
survivorship curve
a generalized diagram showing the number of surviving members over time from a measured set of births
immigration
Movement of individuals into a population
emigration
movement of individuals out of an area
exponential growth
Occurs when a population size increases dramatically over a period of time
logistic growth
a population begins with a period of slow growth followed by a brief period of exponential growth before leveling off at a stable size
carrying capacity
the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support
population crash
dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time
limiting factor
An environmental factor that prevents a population from increasing
density dependent factors
factor that limits a population more as population density increases
density-independent factors
limiting factors whose influence is not affected by population density
cell cycle
the regular pattern of growth, DNA duplication, and cell division that occurs in eukaryotic cells
Gap 1 (G1)
cells grow, carry out normal functions, and replicate their organelles
Synthesis Stage
DNA is replicated
Gap 2 (G2)
Additional growth happens and the cell prepares for mitosis
Mitosis
the division of the cell nucleus and its contents
Cytokinesis
the process that divides the cell cytoplasm
Chromosomes
one long continuous thread of DNA that consist of numerous genes along with regulatory information.
histones
protein molecules around which DNA is tightly coiled in chromatin
Chromatin
long strands of DNA found in the eukaryotic cell nucleus; condense to form chromosomes
Centromere
Area where the chromatids of a chromosome are attached
Chromatid
one half of a duplicated chromosome
telomeres
Repeated DNA sequences at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes.
prophase
first and longest phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes become visible and the centrioles separate and take up positions on the opposite sides of the nucleus
metaphase
phase of mitosis in which the chromosomes line up across the center of the cell
anaphase
the third phase of mitosis, during which the chromosome pairs separate and move toward opposite poles
telophase
After the chromosome seperates, the cell seals off, Final Phase of Mitosis.
Cytokenisis (Mitosis)
The cytoplasm divides, in animal cells the cell membrane pinches inward, and in plant cells vesicles from the Golgi apparatus form a cell plate
cancer
A disease in which some body cells grow and divide uncontrollably, damaging the parts of the body around them.
benign
mild, not cancerous
malignant
cancerous
metastasize
the process by which cancer spreads from one place to another
somatic cells
Any cells in the body other than reproductive cells
Gametes
reproductive cells
homologous chromosomes
two chromosomes- one inherited from the mother, one from the father- that have the same length and general appearance
Autosomes
chromosomes that contain genes for characteristics not directly related to the sex of an organism
sex chromosomes
directly control the development of sexual characteristics
sexual reproduction
involves the fusion of two gametes, resulting in offspring that are a genetic mixture of both parents
Fertilization
the actual fusion of an egg and a sperm cell
diploid
a cell has two copies of each chromosome
haploid
a cell has only one copy of each chromosome
Meiosis
a form of nuclear division that divides a diploid cell into haploid cells
Gametogenesis
the process in which cells undergo meiosis to form gametes.
Sperm
male gamete
egg
female gamete
Traits
distinguishing characteristics that are inherited
Genetics
the study of heredity
Purebreed
the offspring of many generations that have the same traits
cross
mating of two organisms
Law of Segregation
Mendel's law that states that the pairs of homologous chromosomes separate in meiosis so that only one chromosome from each pair is present in each gamete
Gene
a piece of DNA that provides a set of instructions to a cell to make a certain protein
Allele
Different forms of a gene
Homozygous
two of the same alleles at a specific locus
Heterozygous
two different alleles at a specific locus
Genome
all of an organism's genetic material
Genotype
genetic makeup of an organism
Phenotype
An organism's physical appearance, or visible traits.
Dominant
An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when the allele is present.
recessive allele
An allele that is masked when a dominant allele is present
crossing over
Process in which homologous chromosomes exchange portions of their chromatids during meiosis.
Punnett Square
is a grid system for predicting all possible genotypes resulting from a cross
monohybrid cross
crosses that examine the inheritance of only one specific trait
testcross
cross between an organism with an unknown genotype and an organism with a recessive phenotype
dihybrid cross
crosses that examine the inheritance of two different traits
law of independent assortment
states that allele pairs separate independently of each other during gamete formation, or meiosis
Note
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