Study Docs Flashcards

Flashcards to help review lecture notes.

What is ecology?

The study between organisms and their environment.

What are biotic factors?

All living organisms that influence the ecosystem factors include predation, symbiosis and disease agents.

What are abiotic factors?

Non-living parts that influence an ecosystem. Factors include Air, Soil and Water.

What is an organism?

This is any uni/multicellular form that exhibits all the characteristics of life(respiration, growth, reproduction, etc..)

What is a population?

A group of organisms from one species living in the same place that interbreed.

What is a community?

Several interacting populations living in a common area that are interdependent.

What is an ecosystem?

The populations in a community and the abiotic factors that they interact with.

What is a biome?

A group of ecosystems that have the same climate, EG. Rainforest, Tundra, Dessert

What is the biosphere?

The life supporting portions of Earth

What is a habitat?

The place in which an organism lives out its life.

What is a niche?

The role which a species play in a community.

What are producers?

Make their own food via photosynthesis or chemosynthesis(process by which bacteria uses chemical energy to produce carbohydrates.

What are consumers?

Depend on autotrophs for food.

What is predator-prey?

One organism hunts another for food.

What is parasite-host?

The parasite lives on the host and derives it of nutrients.

What is symbiosis?

Two organisms living together

What is commensalism?

One species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped. (orchids on a tree)

What is parasitism?

One species benefits(parasite) while the other is harmed(host)(tick on a dog).

What is mutualism?

Beneficial to both organisms(cleaner shrimp).

What is a food chain?

Series of steps by which organisms transfer energy.

What is a food web?

Network of food chains that show all possible feeding relationships and energy paths.

What are trophic levels?

Represents the feeding step and transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem. Only 10% of energy is transferred per trophic level.

What is taxonomy?

Placing organisms into groups based on their characteristics/ features.

What is Artificial Classification?

Based on organisms visible characteristics- colour, venation, antennae

What is natural classification?

Based on natural relationships between organisms.

What is the carbon cycle?

The cycling of carbon atoms between the earth and the atmosphere.

What is anchorage?

Roots plants into soil

How do plants get water?

Plants obtain water from the soil

How do plants get air?

Plants and other organisms such as earthworms get oxygen from the soil for respiration.

How do plants obtain nutrients?

Plants obtain nutrients from the soil.

What is dirt?

Made up of a mix of organic matter although it is actually dead. However dirt does not contain any nutrients or minerals nor anything close to an ecosystem.

What is hummus?

This is the dark sticky material which is formed as a result of the breakdown of organic matter.

What is clay?

This has the smallest particle diameter and packs very tightly together leading to them having very little air spaces in between.

What is sand?

This had the largest particle diameter and cannot pack closely together leading to air spaces.

What is silt?

Has particles smaller than sand but larger than clay. It is mainly found by water bodies and is easily transported by water currents.

What is loam?

The most balanced type of soil, it is a mixture of clay, sand and silt. It has a fine texture with adequate drainage, water retention and is enriched with nutrients making it the best for plant growth.

What are fertilizers?

This is any material natural/synthetic that is added to soil to supply one or more essential nutrients for plant growth.

What are natural fertilizers?

Organic products that have been extracted from living things or from the earth and are either plant/animal derived.

What are chemical fertilizers?

Any inorganic or synthetic material that is added to the soil to sustain plant growth.

What is soil erosion?

The process that erodes, breaks or gradually diminishes things down. It is the removal/breakdown of rocks and topsoil by wind, water, ice or gravity.

What is raindrop or splash erosion?

This is a result of raindrops hitting the soil’s surface.

What is sheet erosion?

This occurs as a shallow sheet of water flowing over the ground’s surface results in the removal of a uniform layer of soil.

What is rill erosion?

This occurs when runoff water forms small channels up to 0.3m deep as it concentrates down a slope. Any channel deeper than 0.3m is gully erosion.

What is gully erosion?

This is a result of runoff water forming deep channels causing the removal of soil with drainage lines.

What is stream bank erosion?

This is the washing up away of soil from banks of a stream or river.

What are soil conservation practices?

The prevention of loss of the topmost layer of soil from erosion

What are cells?

Cells are the building blocks of life on earth and are the smallest structures able to carry out all the characteristics of life.

What is the nucleus?

The control center of the cell and contains the cell’s DNA.

What is the mitrochondria?

The powerhouse of the cell and provides the cells energy to move, divide etc and is also the site of respiration.

What are ribosomes?

Associated with endoplasmic reticulum and is the site where protein is made.

What is the endoplasmic reticulum?

Manufacturing, processing and transport system of the cell. (Rough ER- has ribosomes attached).

What is a vacuole?

Stores water, food & waste. They are small and temporary in the animal cell and broken down when needed. But is the largest organelle and permanent in the plant cell.

What is a cell membrane?

Allows nutrients into the cell and is selectively permeable, controls what enters and exits the cell.

What is a cell wall?

Found only in plant cells and is made of cellulose to help keep the shape of the cell to prevent it from bursting when a lot of water is absorbed.

What is a chloroplast?

Found only in plant cells and contains chlorophyll which absorbs light and is the site at which photosynthesis occurs.

What are prokaryotic cells?

They are a simple, single-celled organism that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

What are eukaryotic cells?

They are way larger and much more complex than prokaryotes. They contain an internal cytoskeleton that maintains cell shape and aids in transportation. They contain a nucleus and other membrane-bounded organelles.

What are microorganisms/microbes?

Viruses, bacteria, protozoa and fungi are all microorganisms/microbes meaning they cannot be seen with the naked eye.

What are the features of bacteria?

They do not have a separate nucleus, but is spread throughout the cytoplasm

What are fungi?

Either saprophytes(secrete enzymes to digest food outside body) or parasites.They are heterotrophic.

What are protozoa?

Tend to live in water, take in organic food and digest it.

What are tissues?

Cells of same type and share the same function group together to form tissues

What is epithelial tissue?

Tissues that form coverings and linings of the body. The main function is for the protection of cells.

What is nerve tissue?

Serve to conduct impulses that travel from sense organs to the brain. They help us to respond to stimuli and are responsible for the ability to feel things.

What are muscle cells?

These are responsible for muscle production and force production in mammals.

What is an egg cell?

Female reproductive cell, contains ½ the DNA needed for a new organism. Sperm and egg cells combine to form new organisms.

What is a sperm cell?

Male reproductive cell, contains ½ the DNA, Has a special tail (flagellum) to swim and propel towards egg cell.

What are red blood cells?

These are biconcave and have no nucleus so they can carry oxygen to the body.

What are white blood cells?

Phagocytes- engulf and digest pathogens and debris, Lymphocytes-produce antibodies and immune cells to fight pathogens.

What are bone cells?

Support the body, thick and compact

What are root hair cells?

Absorb water and nutrients/minerals from the soil via osmosis. Has a large surface area and lots of mitochondria.

What happens when a cell divides via mitosis?

When a cell divides via mitosis. it produces two copies of itself with the same number of chromosomes

What happens when a cell divides by meiosis?

When a cell divides via meiosis it produces four cells called gamete germ cells or sex cells.(sperm in males and eggs in females)

What is mitosis?

The process by which a cell nucleus divides to produce two daughter nuclei containing the same/identical chromosomes as the parent cell.

What happens during interphase?

The cell grows and prepares for cell division, the centrosome duplicates and moves to opposite ends of each pole

What happens during prophase?

The chromatins become coiled and condensed turning into chromosomes. The mitotic spindle forms and the nucleolus shrinks and disappears. The nuclear envelope breaks down/disintegrates.

What happens during metaphase?

Chromosomes line up at the equator of the cell. Spindle fibres attach to the chromosomes.

What happens during anaphase?

The shortest phase of mitosis where sister chromatids separate and centromeres divide. Sister chromatids are guided to opposite poles via the spindle fibres

What happens during telophase?

Daughter chromosomes have reached their opposite poles, spindle fibres and microtubules break down, chromosomes uncoil back to chromatid, nuclear envelopes and nucleoli begin to reform.

What happens during cytokinesis?

This divides the cytoplasm into two daughter cells and occurs at the end of mitosis.

What is meiosis?

This is the process by which sexually reproductive cells divide to produce four haploid cells.

What happens during prophase 1?

The nucleolus shrinks and disappears, the nuclear envelope dissolves or breaks down, spindle fibres form, chromatids condense into chromosomes, homologous chromosomes pair up to form a tetrad then pair to each other. The point at which the pairs touch is the chiasmata and they exchange genetic material there.

What happens during metaphase 1?

The pairs still held by the chiasma are aligned at the equator of the cell. The spindle fibres attach to the centromeres of the pairs.

What happens during anaphase 1?

Homologous chromosomes, each with 2 sister chromatids, separate and move to opposite poles of the cell through the contraction of spindle fibres.

What happens during telophase 1?

The nuclear envelope may form around each set of chromosomes and the nucleolus may reappear. Telophase I may be accompanied by cytokinesis in some species.

What happens during prophase 2?

Chromosomes condense nuclear envelope breaks down (if it had reformed). Nucleolus disappears (if it had reappeared).

What happens during metaphase 2?

Chromosomes (sister chromatids) align themselves at the metaphase plate/ equator. Spindle fibres attach to the centromere of the sister chromatids.

What happens during anaphase 2?

Spindle fibres contract and break the centromere to separate the sister chromatids which are pulled to opposite poles of the cell.

What happens during telophase 2?

The chromosomes uncoil. The nuclear membrane forms around each set of chromosomes.

What happens during cytokinesis in meiosis?

The cytoplasm cleaves until it completely separates to yield four daughter cells each with a unique combination of HAPLOID (n) genetic information.

What is photosynthesis?

This is the process by which green plants make their own food by converting light energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of glucose

What is the worded equation for photosynthesis?

Carbon dioxide + water + light energy= Oxygen + glucose

What is the chemical equation for photosynthesis?

6CO2+6H2O+light energy= C6H12O6 + 6O2

What is the stomata?

Carbon dioxide enters the plant through tiny holes in the leaf.

What happens during the light dependent stage?

During the light dependent stage, chlorophyll traps the energy from the sunlight and uses it to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

What happens during the light independent(Calvin Cycle) stage?

The glucose molecules are assembled here with the help of the CO2 the plant gets from the air.

What are nutrients?

Substances found in food that keeps your body functioning

What is nutrition?

The process of providing or obtaining the nutrients necessary for health and growth

What do carbohydrates do?

Provide the main source of energy for the body at 4 calories per gram. It is stored as glycogen.

What are the function of lipids/fats?

Is a concentrated & backup source of energy at 9 calories per gram.