9B2 Classification and Adaptation [AQA GCSE Biology]

Abundance

A measure of how common or rare a particular type of organism is in a given environment

Community

All the different populations of living organisms in a habitat

Competition

The process by which living organisms compete with each other for limited resources

Distribution

Where particular types of organisms are found within an environment

Extremophile

An organism that can survive and reproduce in extreme conditions

Interdependence

The network of relationships between different organisms within a community, for example each species depends on other species for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal, etc.

Population

Organisms of the same species in a habitat

Biotic factor

Living factors that can affect a community of organisms

Examples of abiotic factors

Light intensity

Temperature

Moisture levels

Soil pH and mineral content

Wind intensity and direction

Carbon dioxide levels for plants

Oxygen levels for aquatic animals

Examples of biotic factors

Availability of food

Predators

Pathogens

Competition

Abiotic factors

Non-living factors that can affect a community of organisms

Structural adaptation

Features of an organism's body structure or appearance (e.g. horns or camouflage) which increase chance of survival

Behavioural adaptation

What an organism does (e.g. being nocturnal, huddling to keep warm) to increase chance of survival

Functional adaptation

The way things work inside an organism's body (e.g. producing toxins) which increase chance of survival

Factors animals compete for

Food, territory, mates

Factors plants compete for

Light, space, water, mineral ions

predator

An animal that hunts other animals for food

prey

An organism that is killed and eaten by another organism

producer

An organism that can make its own food.

pyramid of numbers

shows the number of organisms at each trophic level

pyramid of biomass

A pyramid that illustrates the total mass of all the organisms in a trophic level.

food chain

A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy.

photosynthesis

Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars

respiration

The process by which cells break down simple food molecules to release the energy they contain.

combustion

A rapid reaction between oxygen and fuel that releases energy and carbon dioxide

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

Linnaeus system of classification

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

the three-domain system

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

binomial name for humans

Homo sapiens

Classification

The process of grouping things based on their similarities