Unit A - Biological Diversity

Biological diversity

Refers to all the different types of organisms on Earth

3 levels of biological diversity

- Genetic
- Species
- Ecosystem diversity

Living things need

- Food
- Water
- Shelter
- Some sort of gas exchange

All living things

- Are made of cells
- Grow and develop
- Need energy
- Reproduce
- Have adaptations
- Respond to the environment

Ecosystem

Where biotic and abiotic organisms interact (Ex. pond or forest)

Community

The biotic component of an ecosystem (Different species living in the same area)

Population

Group of species living in the same area and sharing the same resources

Genetic diversity

Variation between individuals of the same species

Species

The population of an organism as a whole

Taxonomic hierarchy

- Invented by Carolus Linnaeus
- Kings Play Chess On Fine Green Silk

5 Kingdoms

- Animalia (Animals)
- Plantae (Plants)
- Fungi (Yeats, molds, mushrooms)
- Protista (Single celled organisms)
- Monera (Bacteria)

Species distribution

Distribution of living things on our planet (Isn't even and most organisms live close to the equator)

Diversity within ecosystems

Differences in the appearance and roles of the organisms that belong in an ecosystem

Diversity within species

Subtle differences between members of the same species due to genetic diversity

Symbiosis

Association between members of different species

Commensalism

One organism benefits while the other doesn't but isn't harmed either (Ex. Birds nest in a tree)

Mutualism

Both organisms benefit (Ex. Clownfish and anemone)

Parasitism

One organism benefits but the other is harmed (Tapeworm and human)

Interspecies competition

When two or more species compete for a (limited) resource

Resource partitioning

Division of resources among two or more co-existing species

Niche

The role of an organism

Generalist (broad)

- Fills many roles
- Can adapt to environmental changes
- Can use a variety of resources
- Can eat a lot of different types of food
(big populations but fewer species)

Specialist (narrow)

- Few roles
- Can't adapt very well
- Can only utilize a strict amount of resources
(small populations but more variety of species)

Variability

Different characteristics within a species (variations are adaptations) Structural and behavioral

Natural selection

A process in which the environment "selects" which individuals will survive long enough to reproduce

Heritable characteristics

Passed from generation to generation (Ex. Eye color)

Non-heritable characteristics

Not passed from generation to generation (Skills)

Discrete variation

Variation in a heritable characteristic presented through an either/or (Ex. Attached or detached earlobes)

Continuous variation

Variation in a heritable characteristic that fall within a range (weight/height)

Asexual reproduction

Reproduction without the fusion of sex cells resulting in identical offspring and parent

Binary Fission

1 parent cells splits into two identical daughter cells

Budding

An organism develops from an outgrowth on the parent

Spores

A cell produced that spreads and grows a new organism

Vegatative reproduction

Doesn't involve the formation of a seed (Ex. cuttings, tubers, shoots, sap suckers and root runners)

Sexual reproduction

Reproduction involving the exchange of genetic material between two individuals creating offspring that are different from the parents

Gamete

Sex cell (Ex. sperm and egg cells, 23 chromosomes each)

Fertilization

Union of a female sex cell and male sex cell

Zygote

First cell created by the joining of the gametes which then divides through cleavage (46 chromosomes total)

Embryo

Undeveloped organism in early development

Sexual reproduction in plants

When the pollen (male part) from a flower combines with the ovum (female part) in the pistil of another flower

Male parts of a flower

Stamen, Anther, Pollen, Filament

Female parts of a flower

Pistil, Stigma, Style, Ovary, Ovules

Pollination

Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma

Cross pollination

When the pollen of one plant is carried to the stigma of another by wind, water or animals

Cross fertilization

When a grain of pollen produces a long tube that eventually grows down the style into the ovary, and the 2 gametes join to form a zygote

Advantages of Asexual Reproduction

- Does not require specialized cells
- Can produce lots of individuals quickly if the conditions are good
- Does not require a minimum population

Disadvantages of Asexual Reproduction

- If conditions become unfavorable the entire population could be wiped out
- limits variation within the species

Advantages of sexual reproduction

- Provides lots of variation
- Increases diversity of organisms

Disadvantages of sexual reproduction

- Requires a lot of energy and therefore produces a limited number of offspring
- Requires finding a partner
- Requires specialized sex cells
- Requires a minimum population to reproduce

DNA

(Deoxyribonucleic acid) is genetic material found mainly in the nuclei of cells of living things (inherited to offspring by parents)

DNA helix

Is made up of Thymine Adenine Guanine and Cytosine

Genetic code

Nitrogen bases pair up to code the instuctions for how a humn being works

Chromosomes

Chromosomes are structures in which DNA is arranged and along which genes are located

Genes

Segment of DNA located at one particular place on a chromosome which determines a specific characteristic of an organism

Alleles

Possible or variant form of a gene

Meiosis

A type of cell division that produces four sex cells (gametes and body cells) from one parent cell. (Each sex cell contains half the genetic material of the original cell)

Mitosis

A type of cell division that produces two identical daughter cells from one parent cell (binary fission)

Trait

A characteristic of an organism

Genotype

Genetic characteristic (Ex. Homozygous)

Phenotype

Physical trait (Ex. Brown hair/eyes)

Purebred

Plant or animal that has ancestors with all the same form of a trait (Ex. white cat)

Hybrid

An organism produced by crossing two purebred individuals for different forms of a trait (Ex. Black and white cat)

Incomplete Dominance

A pattern of inheritance seen when two different alleles are present at the same gene location, but neither is dominant

Dominant Trait

The outward form observed when two opposite-acting alleles are inherited

Recessive Trait

The outward form is observed only when two same-acting, non-dominant alleles are inherited.

Homozygous dominant

Both alleles passed to offspring are dominant

Homozygous recessive

Both alleles passed to offspring are recessive

Heterozygous

On allele is dominant and the other is recessive

Extinction

Means that something no longer exists on the planet. (Ex. The extinction of the dinosaurs millions of years ago)

Extirpation

The extinction or disappearance of an organism from a specific region (Ex. extinction of wooly mammoths in the Yukon or organisms moving habitats for other food sources)

Natural examples of extinction

Things that span a bigger area of land like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tornados and ice ages.

Natural examples of extirpation

Are local things like interspecies competition, droughts, floods and forest fires

Human causes of extinction and extirpation

Things like building pipelines and roads, creating buildings, pollution, logging, habitat destruction, and invasive species

Overspecialization

When organisms have adaptations for only a for a small range of environmental conditions and so if anything else were to happen to it, it would most likely die

Artificial Selection

Direct breeding by humans of plants and animals with desirable traits to continue producing offspring with those desirable traits

Cloning

Creating an identical copy of an organism

Artificial Reproductive Technologies

When someone manually combines the sperm an organism into the ovum of a different organism (Usually in a petri dish)

Artificial Insemination

Artificial collection and injection of sperm from a male into a female (Ex. livestock breeding)

In Vitro Fertilization

Fertilization that happens outside the body usually in a Petri dish (Ex. livestock breeding)

Genetic Engineering

When someone chooses the desirable traits of an organism and manually inserts the DNA from an organism into another organism.

Biotechnology

The use of living things to make agricultural industrial or medicinal products

Protected Area

Place that allows organisms to live in their natural habitats without any hunting or danger

In Situ Conservation

The maintenance of wild organisms within their functioning ecosystems - Their natural home (Ex. Nature Reservesnational parks and sanctuaries)

Controlling the spread of Exotic species

When people control an organism that isn't native to their land. (ex. Zebra Mussels and Purple Loosestrife)

Ex Situ Conservation

The maintenance of organisms outside of their natural habitats - Their artificial home (Ex. Zoo Seed banks and botanic gardens)

Seed Banks

Places where seeds of different species of plants are stored. They are stored to preserve the genetic material of the plants so they can be used if there were to be an extinction.

COSEWIC

The committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. They assess species that are endangered or are about to be and study them.