Q2 ES SG

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

biotic factors

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment

abiotic factors

Nonliving components of environment.

Organism level of organization

all the organ systems of the body work together to maintain life and health

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Communities

different populations that live together in a defined area

habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Evolution

Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

Adaptations are

structures, functions, or behaviors that enable a species to survive

food chain

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

food web

network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem

primary consumer

An organism that eats producers

Producer

An organism that can make its own food.

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

tertiary consumer

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers

food web vs food chain

A food web consists of many food chains. A food chain only follows just one path as animals find food.

food pyramid

A model of the food chain that demonstrates the interaction of the organisms and the loss of energy

biomass pyramid

represents the amount of living organic matter at each trophic level

Ecological Energy Pyramid

10% of the energy from one organism moves onto the next trophic level. 90% is used for an organisms life processes

Biomagnification/Bioaccumulation

increase in concentration of a chemical or element as it moves up the food chain

phosphorus cycle

The movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks.

nitrogen cycle

The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere

N2 gas in the atmosphere

78% of air, unusable to most living things

Living things need Nitrogen for

proteins and nucleic acids (DNA)

nitrogen-fixing bacteria

bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen(N2) into ammonia (NH4)

Nitrogen fixing bacteria live in

root nodules of legumes (beans, peas,and clover)

Fertilizers contain lots of

nitrogen and phosphorus

Algal blooms are caused by

elevated phosphorus and nitrgoen levels

Algal Blooms (Eutrophication)

large population of algae. As the algae dies/decomposes it chokes the lake of oxygen \= fish die

acid precipitation

precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere (nitric acid and sulfuric acid)

ecological succession

series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance

Primary succession vs secondary succession

Primary: An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed,
Secondary: Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil

pioneer species

first species to populate an area during succession

Most common pioneer species

lichens and mosses and bacteria

artificial selection/selective breeding

process by which humans breed animals and plants for a desired set of particular traits

pesticide resistance

a trait possessed by certain individuals that are exposed to a pesticide and survive

Genetic modified organisms (GMOs)

organism whose genetic code has been altered by artificial means such as interspecies gene transfer; genetic engineering

invertebrate

An animal without a backbone

Vertebrate Characteristics

have a backbone

Conifers

cone-bearing plants

Frog Digestive System

mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, cloaca

earthworm digestion

mouth, pharynx, esophagus, crop, gizzard, intestine, anus

Dorsal

pertaining to the back

Ventral

Toward the belly

6 kingdoms of life

Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia