Flashcards on Organisms and the Environment

Flashcards reviewing key vocabulary from Helen Marshall's lecture on major animal groups and ecological concepts.

Kingdom Animalia

Kingdom of life that includes sponges, cnidaria, platyhelminths, molluscs, arthropods, and echinoderms among invertebrates, and fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals among vertebrates.

Classification

Term for animals grouped according to their anatomical, embryological features, and their DNA, following a hierarchy from kingdom to species.

Phylum Porifera (Sponges)

Phylum characterized by an asymmetrical body plan, no true tissues, filter feeders, and spicules for support.

Choanocytes

Cells of sponges (Phylum Porifera) crucial for their filter-feeding mechanism.

Phylum Cnidaria

Phylum with organisms that are radially symmetrical, have stinging tentacles, tissues but no organs, and stinging cells called nematocytes.

Nematocytes

Stinging cells on the tentacles of cnidarians.

Phylum Mollusca

Snails, slugs, clams, chitons, and cephalopods are members of this phylum, characterized by a hard calcium shell, gills, and a radula.

Osphradium

In molluscs, a sensory organ for detecting chemicals in the water.

Radula

In molluscs, a structure used for scraping food particles.

Phylum Arthropoda

Insects, crustaceans, bees, butterflies, flies, spiders, and centipedes that have a jointed exoskeleton and a tracheal system.

Tracheal System

In arthropods, the system responsible for gas exchange, delivering oxygen directly to cells.

Phylum Echinodermata

Starfish, sea urchins, and brittle stars that are marine only, radially symmetrical, and possess a water vascular system.

Phylum Chordata

Phylum that includes animals, bilaterally symmetrical and coelomate, that possess a notochord at some point in their life cycle.

Chondrichthyes

Cartilaginous fish such as sharks and rays.

Osteichthyes

Bony fish such as lungfishes and teleosts.

Swimbladder

Present in Osteichthyes; A gas-filled sac that helps bony fish control their buoyancy.

Class Amphibia

Frogs, toads, newts and salamanders are tetrapods and require water for reproduction.

Class Reptilia

Crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles whose kidneys are complex, undergo internal fertilization, and the amniote egg.

Class Aves

Class characterized by feathers and flight, and endothermic.

Class Mammalia

Nearly 5,500 species classified characterized by hair + sweat glands, production of milk from mammary glands and a diaphragm used in ventilation, intelligent behaviour.

Sensitivity

The ability to respond to the external environment is called

Receptors

Cells or organs that are able to response to receptors, such as of the eyes, ears, nose, skin etc.

Cephalisation

This is a development when there is a concentration of nerves and sensory cells found in the heads

Brain

Term used in the phylum mollusca that describes the series of ganglia with 2 nerves leading from circumoesophagael nerve ring to the rest of the body.

Supraoesophageal ganglion

3 lobed structure to coordinate the response to a specific type of sensory input in arthropoda.

Brain

Forebrain (thalamus, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex), midbrain (reticular formation) and hindbrain (medulla oblongata and cerebellum)

Organic nutrients

Nutrients that consists of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins etc

Saprotrophic

This is the consumption of dead OM ‘decomposers’, Extracellular digestion = outside an organism, Enzyme are released and then the soluble nutrients are then absorbed, eg, Fungi, bacteria and other unicellular organisms are saprophytes

Parasitic

Feeding on or within a host and live either on (ecto-) or within (endo-) a host, these cause harm to host, requires highly specialized morphological adaptions eg tapeworm , no sensory organs, head contains hooks and suckers to cling to the wall of the intestine.

Holozoic

The organisms that feed off other organisms, such as Herbivores consume autotrophs (plants) and Carnivores consume heterotrophs (animals)

Herbivores

Herbivores consume autotrophs(plants) a) Eat large amounts of plant material that eat all day because it is difficult for them to digest and low in energy b) Produce lots of faeces that contain nutrients and energy c) Specialized gut compartments: foregut + hindgut fermenters

Symbiotic

Mutualistic association between 2 organisms e.g.

Extracellular digestion

Outside the cell within a specialised compartment (most animals do both)

Annelids

When an animal consumes decaying organic matter and have specialized compartments along the alimentary canal

Amylase

Enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch to form the disaccharide maltose Hydrolysis reaction uses H2O.

Excretion

Process by which organisms remove metabolic waste products, removal of nitrogenous wastes or the regulation of water.

Deamination

Produces ammonia: NH3, a small, highly soluble but toxic compound

Ornithine cycle

The process that converts ammonia into urea

Malpighian tubules

Malpighian tubules, remove waste K+, Na+, Cl- and water from coelom

Vertabrate kidney

Very important role in Homeostasis, Composed of many nephrons, Pair situated in the abdominal cavity

Bowman’s Capsule

ULTRAFILTRATION of the blood from the afferent arteriole into the bowmans capsule, High blood pressure (5.92 kPa) assists in the filtration process , Glomerular filtrate is the same as blood plasma minus the large proteins , 180 litres filtered each day

Proximal Convoluted Tubule

Filtrate is modified here, Selective reabsorption occurs via active transport, Some passive uptake, Direct secretion occurs of compounds to allow for greater quantities to be eliminated

Distal Convoluted Tubule

Filtrate is modified here; Na+ and Cl- are actively reabsorbed from the distal convoluted tubule and the collecting duct, Under hormonal control: antidiuretic hormone (ADH), The more ADH the increase in permeability concentrated urine, In the absence of ADH dilute urine

Loop of Henle

Important for generating Concentrated urine Salts pumped out of the ascending limb into interstitial spaces draws water out of the descending limb, The longer the loop of henle is, the more concentrated the urine produced

Reproduction

Ability to produce offspring via asexual or sexual mechanisms, Asexual = without a second individual or Sexual = involving two individuals

Fission

Formation of a diploid individual from a single cell derived by mitosis

Budding & Fragmentation

Formation of a diploid individual by the detachment of cells derived by mitosis

Parthenoggenesis

Formation of females from unfertilized eggs

POLYEMBRYONY

WHEN MULTIPLE EMBRYOS ARE FORMED FROM A SINGLE FERTILIZED EGG, VERY RARE PHENOMENIN, BUT HAS BEEN RECORDED IN NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO, SOME INSECTS AND BRYOZOA

Spermatogenesis

Sperm being produced

Vas deferens

Duct that leads from the testes to the urethra

Uterus

Area in which the embryo develops fertilization successful

Oogenesis

Eggs being produced

Respiration

Oxidation of organic molecules ATP (ADENOSINE PRIPHOSPHATE is the compound that provides energy for biological reactions

ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN

E- are donated via NADH or FAH2 to drive H+ across the membrane, by-product is H2O, The difference in H+ creates a chemical and an electrical gradient (hold potential energy), ATP synthetase creates ATP from ADP + P

Requires Oxygen

cellular respiration

Diffusion

Random movement of molecules – O2 In small animals or animals with very low metabolic rate utilize diffusion because its cheap and effective, meaning; Its limited to short distances:0.1 mm, Rate is +ve linked to SA and concentration difference, Rate is -ve linked to distance

Ventilation

Movement of water/air over the gaseous exchange surface

Circulation

Fluid that carries O2 to the tissues

Tracheal System

Internalised network of blind- ending air filled tubes that deliver O2 directly to cells, No respiratory surface/organ, Spiracles regulate air into and out of trachea, Air sacs help assist with ventilation , Mitochondria located adjacent to the terminus of the tracheoles , No circulatory system or respiratory pigments

Buccal-opercular pumping

Gills uptake O2 from water

Circulatory system

Assist with oxygenation of their tissues, but it also plays several other important roles like transporting gasses, nutrients etc.

Haemolyph

Mix of blood and interstitial fluid

Ostia

heart with openings

Closed circulatory systems

System where blood is retained within vessels: arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and veins, Creates higher blood pressure for more efficient delivery, Animals with closed system have more than one heart: SYSTEMIC + AUXILIARY Blood can flow through the heart once or twice

Atrium

Used to assist blood flow around the body within telepsti systems

Ventricle

Storage chamber that used blood flow around the body within telepsti systems

Blood

The blood composed of of PLASMA (55%) – heart, soluble nutrients, hormones, O2, CO2, urea / ERYTHROCYTES (40%-45%) – red blood cells for carrying 02 and CO2 / LEUCOCYTES (1%) – white blood cells form the immune system / PLATELETS – blood clotting

Haemoglobin

Is Composed of 4 protein subunits each surrounding a haem group (Fe atom) increases the carrying capacity of oxygen by the blood by x100

Hamburger phenomenon

CHLORIDE SHIFT occurs at the capillary beds HCO3- in the RBC is exchanged for Cl- in the plasma RBC impermeable to HCO3- and H+ ions

Bohr effect

Changes in pH alter the affinity of haemoglobin to oxygen, An increase in the partial pressure of CO2 causes a decrease in the pH, BOHR EFFECT enhances oxygen delivery to the tissues

Hormones

Chemicals which are produced by ENDOCRINE glands and which are carried by the blood, Carried by plasm proteins to their target organs, Receptors on cell surfaces ensure target specificity

Steroid hormone

Main Types of hormones i) PEPTIDE hydrophilic, polypeptides ii) AMINE hydrophilic, single amino acids iii) STEROID hydrophobic, derived from cholesterol

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a constant internal environment is called

Feedback mechanism

SENSOR to detect change / CONROL CENTRE to coordinate the response / EFFECTOR leads to the response

DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 1

Occurs when there is b cells destroyed by autoimmune reaction, requires regular injections of insulin

Sensory organs

Enables animals to respond to their environment, receptor organs =, detect light and form images

Rhodopsin

This is found in vertabrates which is a composed of transmembrane protein opsin and the light absorbing retinal, Relates with the membrane of the photosensitive cells

Statocyst

Use mechanoreceptors called hair cells

Mutualism

When both species benefit from the relationship

Commensalism

When one species benefit and the other does not benefit and/or is not harmed

Malaria

This parasite requires two hosts for example malaria, and kills 1-2 million people a year, 2 host: female mosquito and human

Survivorship

The two strategists i) r-strategist large num of offspring but little parental investment ii) k-strategist fewer offspring and increased parental investment

The type of of growth curve

Exponential: B + I -> D + E population increasing and K not yet reached or death: B + I <- D + E population declining and Population below K.

INTRAspecific competition

Competition between individuals of the same species

INTERspecific competition

Competition between individuals that are different species

Ecology

Study of living organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment

Metazoans

4 major habitats 1. Marine (largest) 2. Freshwater 3. Estuarine 4. Terrestrial

Habitat

The place occupied by an individual in which it lives, feeds and breeds (home)

PRIMARY PRODUCER (AUTOTROPHIC)

Organisms that produces carbohydrate from inorganic carbon (CO2) e.g photosynthetic plant that uses light to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into carbohydrate (C6H12O2]n) and oxygen (O2)

CONSUMER

Organism that obtains complex organic carbon from other organisms through consumption e.g. all animals

HOLOZOIC

Organisms feed on solid organic materials, these are taken into the body, digested into small soluble molecules, and assimilated

OMNIVORES

mixed diet consuming both plant and animal material: primary or secondary consumers

TROPHIC LEVEL

Place an organism fills in the chain

APEX PREDATOR

Occupies the top trophic level

Pyramid of energy

Shows the amount of energy acquired from the level below, given in hJ m-2 yr -1

GROSS PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY (GPP)

total light energy fixed through photosynthesis and converted into chemical energy

NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY (NPP)

Represents the amount of energy that is available to primary consumers

DECOMPOSITION

key nutrient recycling process, Organic matter primary comes from plants, above and below ground biomass.

Fragmentation

Process of breaking down litter into small and smaller pieces