Plant and Animal Behaviour Key Words

Flashcards with key vocabulary terms and definitions from a Plant and Animal Behavior lecture.

Orthokinesis

Orientation response in which the strength of the stimulus determines the rate of linear movement

Territory

Area that is defended by an animal

Zeitgeber

External environmental cue by which an internal clock is set

Endogenous

Having an internal origin, independent of external stimuli

Free-running

Rhythm is free-running when it is proceeding independently of external changes

Circaannual

A rhythm of about 1 year

Crepuscular

Active at dawn and dusk

Klinotaxis

Taxis in which orientation depends on receptors alternately comparing the intensity of the stimulus as the body moves from side to side

Phototropism

Growth of a plant towards or away from light

Antibiosis

Inhibition of the growth of bacteria by the production of growth- inhibiting substances (antibiotics) by fungi

Nocturnal

Active at night

Entrainment

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

Auxin

Growth hormone which plays an essential part in tropisms in stems and leaves, and also in numerous growth processes

Biological clocks

Internal timing system that continues without external clues, and control (to some extent) the timing of activities of plants and animals

Homing

The ability of animals to find and return to the home site

Commensalism

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

Day neutral plant

A plant that flowers independently of the day length or seasons

Photoperiodism

The response of plants to length of nights

Exogenous

Driven by external stimuli (environmental cues)

Abscisic acid

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

Phytochrome

A plant pigment that controls the photoperiodic response

Tropism

A growth response towards or away from an environmental stimulus coming from one direction

Klinokinesis

Orientation response in which the strength of the stimulus determines the rate of turning

Diurnal

Active during daylight

Phase-shift

When the onset of the period of the rhythm is changed (either earlier or later)

Circatidal

A rhythm of about 12.5 hours

Nastic response

The responses of plants to diffuse stimuli that do not come from any particular direction

Kinesis

Non-directional response of an organism. Do not use a +ve or –ve in description

Home range

An area that an animal uses for food, but is not defended

Long-day plant

A plant that flowers with increasing day length

Phase shift

To change the start times of a rhythm, but not its period

Stimulus

Anything that causes an organism to react

Parasitism

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

Circadian rhythm

Rhythm with a period of about a day when under constant environmental conditions

Predation

An interspecific relationship where one individual (predator) benefits by hunting and killing the prey

Short-day plant

A plant that flowers in short days- long nights

Taxis

Orientation movement of an animal in which the direction of movement depends on the direction of the stimulus

Migration

Mass movement of members of a species, usually at regular intervals, often over long distances, and in which the “urge” for the movement arises from internal stimuli

Hierarchy

When animals are ranked

Period

The length of a rhythm, how long it takes to repeat

Mullerian mimicry

Where several poisonous species have similar colourations

Mutualism

An interspecific relationship where both benefit

Sun compass

A biological clock that enables a migrating bird or insect to fly using the sun and continuously adjusting its angle to the sun while flying