Final exam Bio111

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy and nutrients by consuming other organisms.

Motile

The ability of an organism to move spontaneously and independently.

Asymmetrical

Having no body symmetry, typical of sponges.

Radial Symmetry

Body parts arranged around a central axis, like a sea anemone.

Bilateral Symmetry

Body plan with two matching halves (left and right).

Gastrovascular Cavity

A digestive chamber with a single opening used for both ingestion and elimination.

Protostomes

Animals in which the first embryonic opening becomes the mouth.

Deuterostomes

Animals in which the first embryonic opening becomes the anus.

Cnidocytes

Specialized stinging cells found in Cnidarians used for prey capture and defense.

Mantle

A specialized tissue in mollusks that drapes over the body and often secretes a shell.

Exoskeleton

A hard, external skeleton that protects and supports the body of arthropods.

Metamorphosis

A biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching.

Notochord

A flexible, rod-like structure providing support in chordate embryos.

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area.

Demography

The statistical study of population traits such as size and density.

Clumped Distribution

Individuals are grouped in patches, often due to resource availability or protection.

Uniform Distribution

Individuals are evenly spaced, often due to territoriality or competition.

Random Distribution

Position of each individual is independent of others, rare in nature.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size an environment can sustainably support.

Ecological Community

All the populations of different species living and interacting in a specific area.

Species Richness

The total number of different species in a community.

Species Evenness

The relative abundance of each species in a community.

Commensalism

An interaction where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Mutualism

An interaction where both species benefit.

Parasitism

An interaction where one species benefits at the expense of another.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Ecological Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Trophic Level

The position an organism occupies in a food chain.

Greenhouse Effect

The process by which atmospheric gases trap heat, keeping the Earth's surface warm.

Climate

The long-term average of weather conditions in a specific region.

Biome

A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat.

Permafrost

A thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, typical of the Tundra.

Endemic Species

A species that is found only in one specific geographic location.

Mass Extinction

An event in which a large percentage of all living species become extinct in a relatively short period.

Niche

Role of a species in a community