Organisms and their environment

Flashcards of vocabulary terms and definitions of organisms and their environment.

Sun's Role in Biological Systems

Main energy source for biological systems.

Energy Flow

Energy flows through living organisms, starting from light energy from the sun and turning into chemical energy, and then transferring to the environment.

Photosynthesis

Process in which light energy is trapped by plants and converted into chemical energy, stored in molecules.

Food Chain

Transfer of energy from one organism to the next, starting with a producer.

Food Web

A network of interconnected food chains.

Producer

An organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight, through photosynthesis.

Consumer

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms.

Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary Consumers

Consumers classified according to their position in a food chain.

Herbivore

An animal that gets its energy by eating plants.

Carnivore

An animal that gets its energy by eating other animals.

Decomposer

An organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic matter.

Food chains and food webs

The impact humans have through overharvesting of food species and through introducing foreign species to a habitat can be described using these.

Trophic Level

The position of an organism in a food chain, food web or ecological pyramids.

Food Chain Definition

A series of organisms, beginning with the producers through which energy and nutrients are transferred.

Food Chains Use

Represent the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

Food Web Definition

Consists of a network of interconnected food chains.

Producer Definition

An organism that makes its own food, contains chlorophyll that absorbs light to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, through a process known as photosynthesis.

Consumer Definition

Organisms that are not able to make their own food and obtain energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms.

Primary Consumers

Organisms that feed on plants only.

Secondary Consumers

Organisms that feed on primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumers

Organisms that feed on secondary consumers.

Herbivore Definition

Primary consumers which feed directly on plants or algae.

Decomposer Definition

Organisms that get their energy by breaking down dead organisms, faeces and excretory products.

Overharvesting

Causes the reduction in numbers of a species to the point where it is endangered or made extinct.

Ecological Pyramids

Food and energy relationships can be shown using diagrams that form these.

Trophic Level Definition

Refers to the position of an organism in a food chain or food web, including its feeding relationship with other organisms.

Pyramid of Numbers

Allows us to compare the number of organisms present in each trophic level at a particular time.

Pyramid of Biomass

Allows us to compare the mass of organisms present in each trophic level at a particular time.

Pyramid of biomass

Allows for comparison of the dry mass of organisms in each trophic level at any one time.

Pyramid of Energy

The cumulative loss of energy from a food chain can be represented by this.

Pyramid of Energy Advantages

Best way of showing energy flow through an ecosystem.

Cyclic Energy Flow

In an ecosystem energy does not flow in this pattern.

Examples of Decomposers

Are bacteria and fungi.

Bush meat

Is the flesh of primates, such as monkeys and hunting these animals is not always regulated or controlled so species can be threatened as a result of indiscriminate killing.

Zooplankton

Are microscopic organisms which prey on phytoplanktons in aquatic ecosystems.

Trophic level

Describes the position of an organism in a food chain or a food web

Food web

A community of organisms that feed on one another.

Autotrophs

Another name for producers.

Heterotrophs

Another name for consumers

Detritivore

Feeding on dead or decaying organisms.

Plants/ green algae

Primary producers (1st trophic level)

Photosynthesis

Process that provides almost all of the energy for life on Earth

90% of energy

Is lost as heat and not transferred to the next level

Percent of energy passed on to the next trophic level

10%

Predict

Suggest what may happen based on available information.

Describe

Give characteristics and main features.

Explain

Set out purposes or reasons/make the relationships between things/provide why and /or how and support with relative evidence.

Diverse food web

An ecosystem with many species and interactions is more stable than one with few species.

Producers

First trophic level.

Primary consumer

Second trophic level.