AP BIOLOGY 8.1-8.4 FLASHCARD NOTES

Organisms respond to their environment, increases

survivability and fitness, changes in hormones and gene expression (not changing DNA).

Kin selection

selection where organisms will inherit behaviors that may risk individual fitness, but increase the likehood of relatives surviving and reproducing.

Why is Kin Selection beneficial?

To protect genes from dying out even if an organism dies.

Metabolism

the sum of all the chemical reactions in a body, which produce heat.

Endotherms

rely on heat.

Ectotherms

rely on the environment.

Smaller organisms have higher metabolic rates, why does this occur?

due to the loss of heat more to the environment (high SA:V)

Arrows in food webs

show the flow of energy from prey to predator, classified in trophic levels.

Abiotic factors include rainfall and sunlight, since they are essential for producers, changes to

factors like these (in established ecosystems), will affect producers the most.

Population growth rate is

dependent on limiting factors and population density.

Density-independent limiting factors include

natural disaster that affect the population regardless of density.

Density-dependent limiting factors include

everything else that affects denser populations more. (Ex: disease & competition)

Exponential growth

population growth that occurs when there are unlimited resources.

Logistic growth

population growth that is more realistic (logical) as they reach limits on various resources.