EOSC 315 Definitions (Pt. 1)

Individual

A single organism

Population

A group of organisms of the same species that dwell together

Community

All different populations in a habitat

Ecosystem

A community and the physical environment

Environment

The surroundings of an organism

Ecology

The study of the interactions among organisms and their natural environment

Biomass (standing stock)

Total amount of living material in an ecosystem in units which it is measured (carbon, weight, chlorophyll, or grams)/area or volume

Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore

Organism whose diet consists:

• only of autotrophs

• only of heterotrophs

• of autotrophs and heterotrophs

Autotrophs

They are "self feeders" either photoautotrophs or chemoautotrophs

Heterotrophs

They get their energy from other sources of food

Photosynthesies

The biological synthesis of organic molecules (glucose) from inorganic CO2, water, and sunlight done only by photoautotrophs with O2 as a byproduct 

Chemosynthesis

Organic molecules derived from breaking down inorganic chemical compounds done only by chemoautotrophs (bacteria)

Detrivore

Heterotrophs that obtain nutrients from detritus (decomposing organic matter)

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack structural complexity in the form of organelles and a nucleus

Eukaryotes

Single-celled or multicellular organisms with membrane-bound organelles and a nucleus

A. reproduction

Without the fusion of games and is where the parent cell splits to result in two genetically identical daughter cells done by both prokaryotes and eukaryotes

S. reproduction

With the fusion of games from the parent cells to create genetically distinct offspring done only by eukaryotes

Respiration

The chemical process that releases energy during the breakdown of organic matter done by all living things (cells/organisms)