Ecology Sept. 11th (new .2)

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to energy acquisition, autotrophy, heterotrophy, and physiological adaptations in ecological systems.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances; primarily through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Chemosynthesis

The process by which certain organisms create energy by using inorganic compounds, rather than sunlight, to produce organic matter.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming organic compounds produced by autotrophs or other heterotrophs.

Detritivores

Consume dead organic matter (e.g leaf litter, decaying animals), playing a crucial role in nutrient recycling

Parasitic Organisms

Feed on living hosts without necessarily killing them, obtaining nutrients directly from host tissues

Holloparasite

A type of parasitic plant that has no chlorophyll and derives nutrients from a host plant.

Hemiparasite

A type of parasitic plant that can photosynthesize but also extracts water and nutrients from its host.

C4 Photosynthesis

A photosynthetic pathway that allows certain plants to efficiently fix carbon dioxide in low-CO2 conditions, enhancing productivity (spatial separation and uses PEPcase to capture CO2 in mesophyll cells)

CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism)

A photosynthetic adaptation where plants open their stomata at night to minimize water loss, storing CO2 temporarily (temporal separation)

Photorespiration

A process in which the enzyme RuBisCO catalyzes the conversion of sugar back to CO2 under certain conditions, reducing photosynthetic efficiency.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process by which certain bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that plants can absorb and utilize.

Enzyme

A protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up biochemical reactions in living organisms.

Light Harvesting

The initial step in photosynthesis where light energy is captured by pigments such as chlorophyll to produce ATP.

Stomata

Tiny openings on plant leaves that allow for gas exchange; necessary for photosynthesis but also lead to water loss.

Digestive system efficiency

The capacity of an organism's digestive system to extract nutrients from food, influenced by diet and morphology.

Adaptation

A physiological or morphological trait developed over time that enhances an organism's survival in a specific environment.

Isotopic signatures

Unique ratios of stable isotopes used to trace the dietary habits of organisms in ecological studies.

Light Compensation Point (LCP)

The light intensity at which the rate of photosynthesis exactly balances the rate of respiration

Structure of Sun leaves

Smaller, thicker leaves with more palisade cells and stomata to maximize light absorption and CO2 uptake

Structure of Shade leaves

Larger, thinner leaves to minimize material waste and allow sun to penetrate deeper into the leaf

Rubisco

Enzyme that acts as both a carboxylase and oxygenase

Fats

Provide the highest energy per mass