NCEA Level 3 Biology - Plant and Animal Responses

Tropism

A permanent and slow directional growth response in plants. Contolled by Auxin or IAA

Taxes (Taxis)

A directional response (positive/negative) of animals to enable it to move towards favourable condition/ avoid unfavourable ones

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. Happens due to turgor pressure changes. K+ ions get pumped out of pulvini cells and actively pumped into other cells, making them hypertonic, therefore water follows via osmosis and cells become turgid compared to pulvini that are now flaccid. Flaccid cells collapse due to pressure from turgid cells

Kinesis

A non-directional response to a stimulus in animals to avoid unfavourable condition. The intensity of the stimulus, influences the intensity of the response

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

Tidal/Circatidal

Tidal activity period, approximately 12.4 hours. Caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and rotation of earth around its axis. Low and High tide

Lunar / Circalunar

Monthly activity period, 29 days. Linked to the rotation of the moon around earth.

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 meaning

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 actively 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

Parental care

Investment of resources by parents in the survival of offspring

Mimicry

Adaptive resemblance between unrelated species

Cryptic colouration

Concealment method in which animal is coloured to match environment

Photoperiodism

the biological response of plants and animals to the relative lengths of day and night

Phytochrome

Plant protein involved with measurement of photoperiod

r-Strategist

Organism which produces large number of offspring but gives them little parental 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 maximum value

Entrainment

Process by which an internal clock becomes reset by zeitgebers

Free-running

Behaviour rhythm proceeding independently of external changes

Day-neutral plant

Plant that flowers independently of day length

Critical day length

Photoperiod required for plants to flower

IAA

Chemical name for auxin

Auxin

Growth hormone which plays an essential role in tropisms

Lek

Area in which males congregate to mate with females

Navigation

Determining one's position relative to other locations

Solar navigation

Using the sun to navigate

Stellar navigation

Using the stars to navigate, likely recognize star patterns and constellations, and use these to determine direction, particularly the north-south axis.

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 the parasite is benefited and the host is harmed

Predation

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

Hierarchy

a rank order of individuals within a social group based on dominance, often determined by factors like age or size. Most dominant first, which gets best access to resources

Where is Auxin/IAA found

The tips of roots and stems

Auxin/IAA characteristics

1. photophobic

2. hydrophyllic

3. thigmophobic

4. “Heavy” as it is a protein

Auxin behaviour in stem

a high conc. in stem stimulates growth

Auxin behaviour in root

a high conc. in root inhibits growth

How does auxin stimulate growth

It makes cells more stretchable, therefore cells elongate

positive tropism

grows towards stimulus

negative tropism

grows away from stimulus

Diaphototropism

leaves orientating 90° to sunlight

Nyctinasty

“sleeping” movement of plants

Rheotaxis

Fish swimming against the current is positive rheotaxis

Phytohormones

Signaling molecules produced by plants that regulate various aspects of growth and development, even at very low concentrations e.g. auxin/IAA

Actogram

A graph used to visualise an organism's activity patterns over time, often displaying periods of activity and rest

Altruism

self-sacrificing behaviours that benefit members of the same species

Kin selection

Altruistic behaviour which favour the survival of close relatives.

For example, worker bees dedicate their lives to caring for the queen and her offspring, even though they will never reproduce themselves. 

How does homing navigation occur

Navigation is innate, but experience can improve success. It requires a sense of direction (Internal Compass) and a sense of timing (biological clock)

Methods of navigation

1. Landmarks

2. Solar Navigation

3. Magnetic Fields

4. Chemical Navigation

5. Sonar Navigation

Migration reason

To have better feeding grounds and longer days

Migration cue

Photoperiod, temperature is not a reliable cue

How do animals prepare for migration

New feathers, exercise, breeding cycle sync

Problem of migration

There is no guarantee that new habitat will be better than previous

what 4 timing rhythms are in plants and animals

1. Daily/Circadian

2. Annual/Circannual

3. Tidal/Circatidal

4. Lunar/Circalunar

What is the adaptive advantages to having timing rhythms

Enables organisms to anticipate the time and prepare

endogenous

Timing rhythms driven by internal clock which gets entrained by zeitgebers

exogenous

Timing rhythms controlled by external cues only

How does entrainment occur

1. Zeitgeber must be detected by receptor

2. Signal must be transmitted

3. clock must be changed

Where is the clock located in mammals

in an area of the hypothalamus called the SCN

SCN stands for

supra chiasmatic nuclei

Daily rhythms in plants

1. Opening and closing of flowers to be in sync with pollinators

2. Nyctinastic movements when plants drop their leaves at night and lift during the day

What annual rhythms are there

1. Coat thickness

2. Hibernation

3. Aestivation

4. Reproduction

5. Migration

6. Diapause

What happens when P_Fr is high in conc.

Long day plant flowers

What happens when P_Fr is low in conc.

Short day plant flowers

What is important to if LDP or SDP flower

length of uninterupted night

What are Interspecific relationships

Relationships between different species

Types of Interspecific relationships

1. Mutualism

2. Commensalism

3. Exploitation

4. Competition

5. Allelopathy and Antibiosis

Mutualism

(+/+) Both species benefit which could lead to co-evolution

Commensalism

(+/0) One benefits while one is unaffected e.g. Birds nest and tree

Exlpoitation

(+/-) One benefits while other is harmed

1. Herbivory

2. Parasitism

3. Predation

Types of Parasitism in plants

1. Holo/Total

   • Parasite sends haustoria into xylem (water) and phloem (nutrients) of host

2. Semi/Hemi

   • Parasite can photosynthesise, haustoria only go to xylem

Types of parasitism in Animals

1. Ecto (outside)

2. Endo (inside)

3. Social (Brood Parasite)

Competition interspecific competition

(-/-) Both are harmed as energy is wasted to “win” the interspecific competition

Allelopathy

(+/-) Only in plants where a plant releases a chemical that kills any other plants that could compete with it

Antibiosis

(+/-) Only in fungi where a fungi releases antibiotics to kill bacteria

Camouflage

when the colour or patterns of an animal blends into the background, reducing chances of being seen

Warning colouration

colouration to indicate to predators that the animal is:

1. unpalatable

2. harmful

3. toxic

4. venomous

Batesian mimicry

a form of mimicry where a harmless species (the mimic) evolves to resemble a dangerous or unpalatable species (the model) to deter predators

Mullerian mimicry

two or more harmful species evolve to resemble each other, creating a shared warning signal to deter predators

Divaricating Growth

a unique growth habit where branches spread at wide angles, creating a dense, interlaced, and often tangled appearance to make leaves more difficult for a browser to access.

Where is melatonin produced

Pineal Gland

Why is internal clock essential to solar navigating

it allows animals to compensate for the apparent movement of the sun across the sky. Without an accurate internal clock, the sun's position would be an unreliable compass, as its position changes throughout the day. This compensation is essential for maintaining a consistent direction during long journeys. 

Intraspecific Competition intensity

Competing for the exact same resource therefore much more intense

What do members of the same species compete for

1. Mates

2. Nesting Spaces

3. Resources (food, light, water)

Intraspecific competition always results in

decrease in reproductive success