Plants and Animals

Abiotic factors

Non living factors that affect organisms - light, temp, humidity

Actogram

A graph that shows the pattern of activity for an animals over a period of time

Altruism

Is self sacrificing behaviour toward unrelated members

Aggressive behaviour

Behaviour by an animla that threatens to harm of kill another animal with which it is competing.

Agonistic behaviour

Behaviour between individuals of the same species which alternates between attack and escape and is often ritualistic.

Auxin

A plant hormone that is involved in growth response (tropisms)

Biological Clock

An internal timing mechanism present in many organisms

Biotic factors

Factors due to living things that affect organisms - parasitism, competition, predators

Chemo-

Relating to a plant of anumal response to chemicals - chemotropism

Circadian Rhythm

A rhythm of behaviour that has a period of about a day when under constant environmental conditions.

Circannual

A rhythm of behaviour that has a period of about a year when under constant environmenal conditions.

Circalunar

A rhythm of behaviour that has a period of about 29 days when under constant environmenal conditions.

Circatidal

A rhythm of behaviour that has a period of about 12 hours when under constant environmenal conditions.

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is not harmed

Competition

When the demands on a a resource (food etc.) is greater than the supply

Courtship

The behaviour before mating that usually onvolves signials such as dancing/singing/posturing between male and female

Cooperative behaviour

Collect behaviour of organisms that helps survival (eg. lions hunting in groups)

Crepuscular

Active at dawn and dusk

Critical Day Length

The photoperiod above which long day plants flower and below which short day plants flower

Diurnal

Active during the day

Dominance

Where one individual “dominates” another (and all others below it in the hierarchy) usually through agressive behaviour

Dormancy

A period of halted or slowed development in plants and animals

Endogenous

Caused by internal factors that are independent of external stimuli

Entrainment

The process of resetting an internal clock so that it is synchronized with environemtnal rhythms

Etiolation

Wgere a plant has received insufficient light and so has very long and weak stems and leaves

Exogenous

Caused by external stimuli

Exploitation

Living at the expense of another organism

Free running period

The period of a rhythm when the environmental signals are removed

Geo- (Gravi-)

Relating to a plant or animal response to gravity (-geotropism)

Hibernation

A period of dormancy in animals during seasonal cold conditions, generally to survive a lack of food

Hierarchy

The organisation of individuals in a group according to rank / dominance. It is an order with individuals at the top of the hierarchy having first choice of resources

Home range

An area in which an animal or group of anumals seeks food, but does not generally defend

Homing

The ability of an animal to find their way home over unfamilliar territory

Innate behaviour

Behaviour that is coded in the genes rather than being learned

Interspecific

Between members of different species

Intraspecific

Between members of the same specific

Kinesis

Non-directional movements by anmals in response to a stimulus. The animal change its rather (orthokinesis) or direction of movement (klinokinesis) when the intensity of the stimulus cheanges.

Kin selection

Altruistic behaviour that is towards relatives. Also promotes survival of common genes

Long day plant

A plant that only flowers when day length exceeds a certain minimal value

Migration

The mass movement of members of a species from one place to another

Mimicry

Similarity in appearance of one species of animal to another that gives it protection from predators

Monogamy

Having only one mate in a breeding season

Mutualism

A cooperative association between individuals of two species where both benefit

Nastic responses

Rapid reversible movements of a plant made in response to a change in a non directional stimulus

Pair bonding

Development of a social bond between the male and female of a monogamous pair

Nocturnal

Active at night

Parasitism (Ecto/Endo)

A interspectific relationship in which one species lives in (endo) or on (ecto) another larger species, feeding off it but not killing it

Period

The duration of one complete cycle of a rhythm - ie. the time between the start of activity one day and the start of activity the next day

Phase shift

Movement forward or backwards of the start of activity due to changing environmental cues.

Photo-

Relating to a plant or animal response to light - eg. phototaxis

Phytochrome

A blue-green pigment that acts as a photoreceptor in plants, occurs in two forms Pr and Pfr

Pineal

A gland at the top of the brain in vertebrates which plays a part in endogenous rhythms by secreting the hormone melatonin that induces sleep

Predation

An interspecific interaction in which individuals of one species (predator) kills and eat individuals from another species (prey)

Receptors

A cell or organ in an organism that detects changes in the environment

Sexual dimorphism

Noticeable physical differences between males and females of the same species like colour or size etc.

Short day plant

A plant that flowers when day length is less than a certain minimal value

Stimulus

A change in an organisms environment to which it can respond

Taxis

An orientation movement of an animal in which the movement depends on the direction of the stimulus

Territory

An area that is defended by an animal

Thigmo-

Relating to a plant or animal response to touch - eg. thigmotropism

Tropisms

A plant growth response to an external directional stimulus, causing the plant to grow towards or away from the stimulus

Zeitgeber

An external environmental cue used to synchronize rhythmic behaviour with environemtnal rhythms

Group nesting

Social behavior where multiple animals share a common nest to lay eggs, defend, and raise offspring together.