NCEA Level 3 Biology - Plant and Animal Responses

Tropism

Plant movement by growth. Direction of response depends on direction of stimulus

Phototropism

Tropic movement in response to light

Gravitropism

Tropic movement in response to gravity

Chemotropism

Tropic movement in response to a chemicsl

Thigmotropism

Tropic movement in response to contact

Hydrotropism

Tropic movement in response to water

Taxes

The movement of an animal towards or away from stimulus from one direction

Positive chemotaxis

The movement of an animal towards a chemical e.g. movement of male moth toward female moth

Homing

The ability to find and return to the home site

Migration

The cyclic mass movement of a population between two habitats

Nastic response

Reversible, non-directional movement response by a plant in response to a change in an abiotic factor

Thigmonasty

Plant response to touch e.g. sudden closing of Mimosa leaves when touched

Kinesis

A non-directional response to a stimulus in animals

Orthokinesis

The speed of the movement is related to the intensity of the stimulus

Klinokinesis

The amount of random turning is related to the intensity of stimulus

Biological clock

An internal timing system which controls timing of activities in organisms

Zeitgeber

External environmental cue by which an internal clock is reset

Circadian

Daily activity, approximately 24 hours

Circatidal

Tidal activity period, approximately 12.4 hours

Circalunar

Monthly activity period, 29 days

Circannual

Yearly activity period, approximately 360 days

Diurnal

Active during the day, inactive at night

Nocturnal

Active at night, inactive during the day

Crepuscular

Active at dusk and dawn

Arrhythmic

No regular pattern found in organisms in unchanging habitats e.g. caves

Intraspecific

Competition between members of the same species

Interspecific

Competition between members of different species

Home range

A set area which animals seldom leave

Territory

Area that is defended by an animal

Pecking order

A social order lead by alpha individual

Courtship

Series of signals exchanged between male and female and ending in mating

k-Strategist

Organisms who produce and care for a small number of offspring

Pair bond

A stable relationship between animals of opposite sex that ensures mating

Parental care

Investment of resources by parents in the survival of offspring

Pheromone

Chemical used as a signal to other members of same species

Mimicry

Adaptive resemblance between unrelated species

Batesian mimicry

Resemblance of a harmless species to one that is poisonous

Mullerian mimicry

Mimicry between unpalatable species

Instinct

Complex behaviour that is not modified by experience

Crypsis

Concealment method in which animal is coloured to match environment

Photoperiodism

Regulation by activity by day length

Phytochrome

Plant protein involved with measurement of photoperiod

r-Strategist

Organism which produces large number of offspring but gives them little care

Long day plant

Plant that flowers when a day length exceeds a certain minimum value

Short day plant

Plants that flower when day length is less than a certain minimum value

Entrainment

Process by which an internal clock becomes reset by rhythmic environmental factors

Free-running

Behaviour rhythm proceeding independently of external changes

Exogenous

Behaviour driven by external stimuli

Endogenous

Behaviour driven by internal stimuli

Day-neutral plant

Plant that flowers independently of day length

Critical day length

Photoperiod required for plants to flower

Vernalisation

Induction of flowering by a period of chilling

Precocial young

Young born in an advanced state, with eyes open

IAA

Chemical name for auxin

Auxin

Growth hormone which plays an essential role in tropisms

Meristem

Continuous growth area in plants (apical bud; root tip)

Gibberellin

Plant growth substance that promotes elongation of shoots

Klinostat

Wheel to which germinating plants can be attached and rotated

Lek

Area in which males congregate to mate with females

Learning

Behaviour that is modified by experience

Navigation

Determining one's position relative to other locations

Solar navigation

Using the sun to navigate

Stellar navigation

Using the stars to navigate

Antibiosis

Inhibition of the growth of bacteria by the production of growth-inhibiting substances by fungi

Commensialism

An interspecific relationship where one organism benefits, but the other is unaffected

Abscisic acid

Plant growth substance that acts as a powerful growth inhibitor and plays an important role in maintaining dormancy in seeds and winter buds

Phase shift

When the onset of the period of rhythm is changed

Stimulus

Anything that causes an organism to react

Parasitism

An interspecific relationship where one individual is benefited and the other host is harmed

Predation

An interspecific relationship where one individual benefits by hunting and killing the other

Hierarchy

Where animals are ranked

Mutualism

An interspecific relationship where both benefit