Biology Lecture Notes Review

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture notes on digestion, reproduction, circulatory systems, gas exchange, and ecological interactions.

Incomplete Digestion

A type of digestion seen in single-celled organisms and sponges where food is digested intracellularly.

Extracellular Digestion

Digestion that occurs within a digestive cavity in multicellular organisms.

Gastrovascular Cavity

A digestive cavity found in cnidarians and flatworms that has only one opening.

Complete Digestion

Digestion in animals with a specialized digestive tract having separate mouth and anus.

Mouth

The entry point for food in the digestive system.

Esophagus

The tube that delivers food to the stomach.

Stomach

An organ in the digestive system responsible for preliminary digestion.

Small Intestine

The part of the digestive system where digestion and absorption occur.

Large Intestine

The section in the digestive tract responsible for the absorption of water and minerals.

Cloaca

A common chamber for the expulsion of waste, found in some animals.

Anus

The opening at the end of the digestive system through which waste is expelled.

Herbivores

Animals that primarily eat plants; characterized by large, flat teeth adapted for grinding.

Carnivores

Animals that primarily eat meat; characterized by pointed teeth without grinding surfaces.

Omnivores

Animals that eat both plants and animals; exhibit a combination of herbivore and carnivore teeth.

Tracheal System

A system in insects that allows for gas exchange using a network of tubes.

Gas Exchange

The process by which organisms exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with their environment.

Open Circulatory System

A circulatory system where blood is not always contained within blood vessels.

Closed Circulatory System

A circulatory system where blood is contained within vessels.

Hemolymph

The fluid that bathes the tissues in an open circulatory system.

Blood

The connective tissue that circulates throughout the body, performing transportation, regulation, and protection.

Osmoregulation

The process by which organisms regulate water and electrolyte balance.

Asexual Reproduction

Reproduction that involves a single organism producing genetically identical offspring.

Binary Fission

A method of asexual reproduction involving cell division and genome replication.

Budding

A form of asexual reproduction where a new organism grows out of the body of the parent.

Fragmentation

A type of asexual reproduction where a parent organism breaks into pieces, each developing into a new individual.

Parthenogenesis

A form of asexual reproduction where unfertilized eggs develop into new individuals.

Sexual Reproduction

Reproduction involving the combination of genetic material from two parents to produce genetically distinct offspring.

Fertilization

The fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote.

Internal Fertilization

Fertilization that occurs within the female reproductive tract.

External Fertilization

Fertilization that occurs outside of the female body, typically in water.

Anamniotes

Vertebrates that lay eggs in water.

Amniote Eggs

Eggs that require protection to prevent desiccation, often with a calcium carbonate shell.

r-strategists

Organisms that produce many offspring with low survival rates and little parental care.

K-strategists

Organisms that produce fewer offspring with higher survival rates and often extensive parental care.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Keystone Species

A species whose impacts on its community are disproportionately large relative to its abundance.

Ecosystem

A self-regulating association of living organisms and their non-living environment.

Biogeochemical Cycles

Natural pathways by which essential elements of living matter are circulated in ecosystems.

Trophic Levels

The different levels in a food chain, reflecting the energy flow from producers to various levels of consumers.