Midterm Vocabulary - Bio 20 AP

Albedo Effect

The ability of surfaces to reflect light from the sun

Atmosphere

Gases that surround the earth. Primarily nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, CO2. 5 levels

1. Troposphere

2. Stratosphere

3. Mesosphere

4. Thermosphere

5. Exosphere

Biosphere

All the biotic and abiotic factors that make up Earth’s ecosystem

Chemosynthesis

Process by which organisms using chemicals as their energy source. Typically occurs in organisms deprived of sunlight

Greenhouse Effect

A warming of the earth caused by substances in the atmosphere reflecting infrared radiation back to the earth’s surface.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Primarily CO2, CH4, N2O, CFCs

Indicator Species

Species used to identify changes in an ecosystem

Photosynthesis

Process by which plants synthesize food for themselves from CO2 and H2O.

Stromatolites

Fossils of the oldest living lifeform on Earth

Trophic Levels

Position an organism occupies on a food web.

1. Producer

2. Primary/Secondary/Tertiary consumer

3. Decomposer

Food Web

Diagram of interconnected food chains in an ecological community

Food Chain

Linear diagram to describe how energy and nutrients flow in an ecosystem

Primary Consumers

2nd trophic level. Organisms that eat producers

Secondary Consumer

3rd trophic level. Eat primary consumers

Tertiary Consumer

4th trophic level. Eat secondary consumers.

Herbivore

Organisms that exclusively eat plants. Also primary consumers

Carnivore

Organisms that exclusively eat other animals

Heterotroph

Primary/Secondary/Tertiary consumers that eat a variety of organisms

Producer

First trophic level, produces own food via photosynthesis

Autotroph

First trophic level, produces own food via photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

Decomposer/Detritivore

Organisms that break down organic matter to release nutrients back into the ecosystem

Biotic

Living aspects of an ecosystem. Eg. organisms

Abiotic

Non-living aspects of an ecosystem. Eg. rocks

Organism

An individual plant/animal or single-celled life form

Population

All the organisms of the same group or species that live in a specific area and are capable of breeding among themselves

Community

Group of different species that interact in a specific area

Open System

System where energy can be transferred between organism and surrounding

Closed system

A system that cannot transfer energy outside of it

Transpiration

Evaporation of water through the stomata of a plant

Biogeochemical Cycles

How an element/compound (eg. water) moves through the biosphere

1. Water cycle

2. Nitrogen cycle

3. Carbon cycle

4. Phosphorus cycle

Biological Amplification/Magnification

Increased concentration of a (toxic) substance in higher trophic levels

Ozone

O3. Layer of the atmosphere that protects against UV rays in the stratosphere. Damaged by CFCs

Predator/Prey

Ecological relationship where one organism targets another for food

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and the environment in which they interact

Hydrosphere

All the water on Earth

Lithosphere

Solid outer part of Earth, made of crust and upper mantle

Evaporation

Conversion of a liquid into a gas

Cellular Respiration

Conversion of O2 into CO2 in organisms, chemical process by which organisms utilize energy from food

Nitrogen Fixation

Transformation of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into useable nitrogen compounds (nitrates, nitrites, ammonia)

Nitrification

Transformation of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrates and nitrites

Phytoplankton

Autotrophic plankton that produces its own food through photosynthesis. Vital component of aquatic ecosystems

Zooplankton

Heterotrophic plankton that eats phytoplankton

Biotic Potential

Rate at which growth happens in an unrestricted population

Dichotomous Key

Tool used to identify organisms based on observable traits

Evolution

Changes that occur in a population as a result of natural selection over time

Bedrock

Solid rock that lies underneath loose Earth

Genetic Variability

Measure of the genetic differences in a population

Heritable Mutation

Gene mutations that are passed on to offspring

Monoculture

The planting of a single plant across a large area. Numerous plants in the area have an identical genetic makeup

Taxonomy

The science of classifying things based on shared characteristics

Physiology

Study of the functions and mechanisms of a living organism

Embryology

Study of the development of embryos. Used to identify homologous features

Paleaontology

Study of ancient life

Biogeography

Study of geographic distribution of organisms

Homologous Structures

Structures that are shared among a variety of organisms because of a common ancestor

Analogous Structures

Structures that formed independently of each other because of similar selective pressures but no common ancestor.

Convergent Evolution

Organisms that are unrelated develop similar structures and get classified together despite being different

Divergent Evolution

Organisms that develop enough variation to become an independent species

Behavioral Adaptations

Something an organism does in response to external stimulus. Eg. migration to avoid the cold

Structural Adaptations

Adaptions in an organisms physical features to increase its fitness. Eg. fur on bears

Physiological Adaptations

Internal adaptations an organism makes to increase fitness. Eg. temperature regulation in cold environments

Darwin

Theorized evolution on account of natural selection. Published “On the Origin of Species”

Lamark

Theorized that organisms could develop desired features and pass them on to offspring (Law of Use and Disuse). Wrong about passing on desirable features

Carl Linneaus

Developed binomial nomenclature where organisms were labelled with their by (Genus) (species)

Malthus

Theorized that population growth was dependent on who could best compete for limited resources

Binomial Nomenclature

Naming organisms by both genus and species. Genus species or G. species

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of organisms of a single species that an ecosystem can support

Climatographs

Graphical representation of an area’s climate (average temperature and precipitation)

Density Dependent

An event that causes the birth/death rate to change depending on the population density

Density Independent

Events that will not change the birth/death rate based on population density

Ecotone

Areas between distinct biomes

Epilimnion

Top layer of a lake, most subject to seasonal changes

Eutrophication

When an aquatic environment has received excess nutrients which increases the amount of algae/plant growth in the water

Gradualism

Theory that evolution occurs over a long period of time with many small changes

Punctuated Equilibrium

Theory that evolution does not occur for periods of time and is then followed by periods of rapid change

Hypolimnion

Lowest layer of a lake before the ground. Roughly 4°C (densest temperature of water)

Limnetic Zone

Open water that is exposed to light where plants don’t grow

Litter

Dead plant material on the ground

Littoral Zone

Area of the ocean where plants are able to grow because it is exposed to light and has the continental shelf to support them

Oligotrophic

An overabundance of dissolved oxygen that results in a deficiency of plant nutrients

Profundal Zone

Layer of water in the ocean where light is not able to penetrate

Topsoil

Upper layer of soil with highest concentration of nutrients and organic matter

Thermocline

Middle layer of a lake responsible for seasonal turnover

Protein

Macromolecule responsible for multiple functions. Made of amino acids connected with peptide bonds

Carbohydrate

Macromolecules used for short term energy storage. Made of monosaccharides connected by glycosidic linkages.

Lipid

Macromolecule used for long term energy storage. Doesn’t make polymers, long chains of C, H. Joined by ester linkages

Nucleic Acid

Macromolecule responsible for information storage. Made of nucleotides/sugar-phosphate backbone connected by phosphodiester bonds.

Polypeptide

Polymer of proteins. Made of amino acids joined by peptide bonds

Monosaccharide

Monomer of carbohydrates. Join together via glycosidic linkages (dehydration synthesis) to make di/polysaccharides

Polysaccharide

Polymer of carbohydrates. Made of monosaccharides joined together with glycosidic linkages

Disaccharide

Polymer made of 2 monosaccharides

Dehydration Synthesis

Removal of a H+ and OH- ion from two monomers to join them together to make polymers

Hydrolysis

Reverse of dehydration synthesis, involves putting compounds into water to break the glycosidic/ester/peptide/phosphodiester linkages

Peptide Linkage/Bond

Linkages between two amino acids through dehydration synthesis

Ester Linkage

Linkages between fatty acids through dehydration synthesis

Glycosidic Linkage

Linkages between monosaccharides through dehydration synthesis

Phosphodiester Linkage/Bond

Linkages between nucleic acids through dehydration synthesis

Steroids

Type of lipid. Modified cholesterol composed of 4 fused C rings and various functional groups

Phospholipid

Glycerol + 2 fatty acids + phosphate. Composed of hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails. Make up cell membranes (phospholipid bilayer) to create barrier to water

Cellulose

Most abundant organic compound. Polysaccharide found in most plant cell walls that is indigestible to most carnivores.