Science SOL 4.2, 4.3, and 4.7 Review: Living Systems and Ecosystems

Flashcards covering Virginia Science Standards of Learning 4.2 (Plants & Animals), 4.3 (Ecosystems), and 4.7 (Oceans).

Why must animals consume other organisms to meet their energy needs?

Because animals are not capable of producing their own food.

What are the four main parts of a plant?

Roots, stem, leaves, and flower.

What is the function of a plant's roots?

They anchor the plant and take water and nutrients from the soil.

What is the function of a plant's stem?

It provides support and allows movement of water and nutrients through the plant.

Which part of the plant is the primary site for photosynthesis?

The leaves.

What is the function of the flower in a plant?

It serves as the reproductive structure, making seeds and attracting birds and bees.

What is the primary food-producing part of green plants?

The leaf.

What is the chemical equation for photosynthesis?

$$\text{sunlight}+\text{carbon dioxide}+\text{water}=\text{oxygen}+\text{sugar}$$

What is the process of pollination?

The process by which pollen is transferred from the stamen (male reproductive structure) to the pistil (female reproductive structure).

What are the male and female reproductive structures of a flowering plant?

The stamen is the male structure and the pistil is the female structure.

What defines an ecosystem?

An area where living and nonliving things interact.

What are examples of nonliving factors in an ecosystem?

Sunlight, water, nutrients, soil, and air.

What is the difference between a population and a community?

A population is all organisms of the same species in a place, while a community consists of multiple populations of species living together in the same place.

What is defined as the place where an animal or plant naturally lives.

A habitat.

What four things does a habitat provide for an organism?

Food, water, shelter, and space.

What is defined as the function or role an organism performs in its community's food web?

A niche.

How does the niche of a tadpole differ from an adult frog?

Tadpoles live in water, breathe through gills, and are herbivores; adult frogs live primarily on land, breathe with lungs, and are carnivores.

What tool is used to classify organisms based on physical characteristics?

A dichotomous key.

What does the arrow in a food chain represent?

The flow of energy, pointing toward the organism doing the eating.

Where is the greatest amount of energy located in an ecosystem?

In the producers.

What are the five layers of the ocean floor?

Continental shelf, continental slope, continental rise, abyssal plain, and ocean trenches.

What is the deepest part of the ocean called?

Ocean trench.

How are organisms in the ocean environment grouped?

According to their movement: floating organisms, swimming organisms, and non-moving organisms.

What is salinity?

The measure of all salts dissolved in water.

What causes ocean currents like the Gulf Stream?

Wind patterns and differences in water due primarily to temperature differences.