Biology Terms 9

Habitat

A place where an organism lives; can be terrestrial or aquatic

Atmosphere

A layer of gas made of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and less than 1% other gasses

Lithosphere

The rocky outer shell of the earth which includes mountains, ocean floors, and all surfaces in between

Hydrosphere

consists of all water on, above, and below the earth’s surface

Biosphere

where life can exist within the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere

Ecosystem

All living organisms that share a region with their non-living environment

Population

A group of the same type of organisms living in the same region

Community

several populations living and interacting with one another in the same space

Sustainability

Ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological balance over a long period of time

Radian energy

Energy that travels through empty space

Light energy

Visible forms of radiant energy

Thermal energy

The form of energy transferred from heating and cooling

Photosynthesis

The process in which the sun’s energy is converted into chemical energy

carbon dioxide + water → (light energy) = sugar + oxygen

photosynthesis word equation

6CO₂ + 6H₂O → (light energy) C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

Photosynthesis chemical equation

Producer

An organism that makes its own energy-rich food compounds using the sun’s energy

Cellular respiration

Process by which sugar is converted into carbon dioxide, water, and energy

sugar + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water + energy

Cellular respiration word equation

C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + energy

Cellular respiration chemical equation

Consumer

An organism that obtains its energy by consuming other organisms

Autotroph

Self-feeders that make their own food from sunlight, nutrients and non-living sources (troph)

Autotroph

another name for producers

Heterotroph

Trophic level for animals that need to eat to gain energy

Heterotroph

Another name for consumers

Ecological niche

A specie’s role in an ecosystem

Herbivore

Animals that only eat plants or other producers

Carnivore

An animal that eat other animals

Omnivores

animals that eat both plants and animals

Scavengers

Animals that feed on remains of other organisms

Food chain

Illustrates who eats whom in an ecosystem

Trophic level

Used to show where the energy is transferred from one organism to another in a food chain

Food web

More complex and specific than a food chain

Sustainable

Complex food webs are more ____ than simple ones

Energy flow

Arrows in a food web points show _____

What happens when you add or remove a species from an ecosystem

What do food webs show?

Ecological pyramid

Displays relationships between tropic levels in ecosystems

Biomass

All the mass in an organism

Biogeochemical cycle

Movement of matter through the biotic and abiotic environment

Limiting factor

Any factor that restricts the size of a population

Tolerance range

the abiotic conditions in which a species can survive

Competition

Organisms fight for limited resources such as food, light, space, and mates

Predation

An individual that kills and eats another individual

Mutualism

When two organisms interact, both benefiting

Parasitism

One organism (the parasite) lives on and feeds on another (the host)

Commensalism

One organism benefits but the other neither benefits nor is harmed

Carrying capacity

Maximum population size of a particular species a given environment can contain

Biome

A large geographical region defined by climate with a specific set of biotic and abiotic factors

Permafrost

Permanently frozen ground

Freshwater Ecosystems

Consists of moving bodies of water such as rivers and nearly stationary bodies of water such as lakes

1%

Freshwater ecosystems have salt concentrations of

marine ecosystems

Ecosystems that have 3% salt concentration

Oligotrophic

A body of water that is low in nutrients

Eutrophic

A body of water that is rich in nutrients

Watershed

A land area drained by a particular river, aka drainage basin

Estuary

Partially closed body of water where fresh and salt water mix

Intertidal Zone

Area between low and high tide lines

Equilibrium

State of a biome when its biotic and abiotic factors stay constant over time

Succession

Re-establishment of an ecosystem initiated by some disturbance

Primary Succession

Occurs on soil or bare rock where no life preciously exists

Secondary succession

Type of re-establishment of an ecosystem that follows a disturbance that disrupts but does not destroy a community

Biodiversity

The variety of life in a particular ecosystem

Species richness

The number of species in an area

Extinct

Refrs to a species that has died and no longer occurs on earth

Extirpated

A species that no longer exists in specific areas

Endangered

A species facing imminent extinction or extirpation

Threatened

A species likely to become endangered due to a combination of factors

Invasive species

A non native organism that disrupts an ecosystem

Chemical control

Pesticides that can kill non-target native species and pollute water, air and soil

Mechanical control

Physical barrier or removal of invasive species

Biological control

Intentionally introducing organisms to control native species

Pollution

Harmful contaminants released into an environment

Acid precipitation

Precipitation that has been made more acidic than usual by a combination of certain chemicals in the air with water vapour

Neutralize

To counteract the chemical properties of an acid

Bioremediation

The use of microorganisms to consume and break down environmental pollutants