Bio topic 1 (booklet)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts of biological classification, adaptations, population sampling methods, biodiversity protection, and ecological control from the lecture notes.

Classification

The process of putting living organisms into groups to help understand the variety of living things, how they have changed over time, and their evolutionary relationships.

Vertebrates

A group of animals that possess a backbone.

Invertebrates

A group of animals that do not have a backbone, for example, insects.

Flowering plants

Plants that produce flowers.

Non-flowering plants

Plants that do not produce flowers, such as ferns and mosses.

Morphological features

The physical structure or appearance of an organism used as a basis for classification.

Five Kingdom Classification

A systematic method of classification that divides all living things into five groups: Bacteria, Single Celled organisms, Plants, Fungi, and Animals.

Common names

Everyday names for organisms (e.g., cat, dog, daisy) which are often based on appearance and can be misleading.

Binomial system

A naming system devised by Carl Linnaeus that uses Latin to give every organism a two-part scientific name.

Genus

The first name in the binomial system, which an organism shares with other closely related species.

Species

The second name in the binomial system, which is unique to a single type of organism within a genus.

Morphological adaptations

Physical features related to the shape or structure of an organism that enable it to survive in its environment, such as ear length or coat colour.

Behavioural adaptations

Specific actions or habits an organism develops to survive, such as being nocturnal to avoid heat.

Nocturnal

A behavioural adaptation where an organism is active during the night, often to avoid daytime heat or predators.

Population size

The number of individuals of one specific species found in a given ecosystem.

Interspecific competition

Competition for resources (like food or water) that occurs between members of different species.

Intraspecific competition

Competition for resources that occurs between members of the same species.

Biodiversity

The number of different species in a particular area and the numbers of individuals within those species.

CITES

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, an international agreement to prevent trade in endangered species.

SSSI

Sites of Special Scientific Interest; areas legally protected because they are rare habitats or contain important species.

Captive breeding programs

Programs, often in zoos, designed to protect rare species by increasing their numbers in a controlled environment before releasing them back into the wild.

Seed banks

A method of maintaining genetic biodiversity by storing seeds in case a plant species becomes extinct.

Local biodiversity conservation schemes

Plans produced by local authorities to protect and enhance biodiversity within their specific area.

Quadrat

A square frame used to sample plant cover or stationary animal populations by counting individuals or percentage cover.

Transect

A series of quadrat samples taken at regular intervals along a line (marked by a tape measure or rope) to study the distribution of organisms.

Capture-recapture technique

A method used to estimate the population size of moving animals involving capturing, marking, releasing, and recapturing individuals.

Biological control

The use of another organism (such as a predator or parasite) to control or kill pests, rather than using chemical pesticides.

Alien species

An animal or plant that has been introduced into a country or environment where it does not naturally originate.

Invasive species

An alien species that grows faster than native species, has no natural predators, and upsets the natural ecosystem.

Japanese Knotweed

An invasive alien species in Britain with no natural enemies that is currently a target for biological control research.