bio terms

10% rule

10% rule

 Only 10% of energy is transferred to the next trophic level.

Abiotic

 Non-living components of an ecosystem.

ATP energy

Primary energy carrier in cells.

biomass

 Total mass of organisms in a given area.

biotic

Living components of an ecosystem

bottom-up regulation 

 Ecosystem regulation starting with producers.

carbohydrate

Organic compound, primary energy source.

carbon dioxide

Gas used in photosynthesis, produced in respiration.

carbon cycle

Movement of carbon through the biosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere.

carnivore

 Organism that eats other animals.

1. carrying capacity

Maximum population an environment can support.

cellular respiration

Process of producing ATP from glucose and oxygen.

1. chloroplast

Organelle where photosynthesis occurs.

1. commensalism

One species benefits, the other is unaffected.

competition

Organisms vie for the same resources.

consumer

Organism that eats other organisms.

1. control group

Group not exposed to the experimental treatment.

1. control variable

Factor kept constant to prevent influence on results.

1. decomposer

Organism that breaks down dead matter.

1. density-independent limiting factor

Factors affecting population regardless of size.

1. density-dependent limiting factors

Factors whose effects increase with population density.

1. dependent variable

 Variable being tested/measured.

1. direct and indirect relationships

Immediate versus mediated interactions between species.

1. ecosystem

Community of living organisms and their environment.

1. energy

 Capacity to do work or cause change.

1. energy pyramid

Diagram showing energy flow in a food chain.

1. exponential growth

Population growth without limits

1. food chain

Linear sequence of who eats whom

1. food web

Complex network of interconnected food chains.

1. glucose

 Simple sugar, energy source for cells

1. herbivore

 Organism that eats plants.

1. hypothesis

Testable explanation for observations.

1. independent variable

Factor manipulated to observe its effect.

1. logistic growth

Population growth that slows as it reaches carrying capacity.

1. metabolism

 Sum of all chemical reactions in an organism.

1. mitochondria

 Organelle where ATP production occurs.

1. Mutualism

Both species benefit.

1. Natural selection

Process where better-adapted organisms survive and reproduce.

niche

Organism's role in its environment.

1. nucleic acid

Biomolecule, includes DNA and RNA.

1. nutrients

 Substances needed for growth and survival.

1. oxygen

Element essential for respiration.

1. parasitism

One species benefits, the other is harmed.

1. photosynthesis

Process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.

1. Predator-prey relationship

Interaction where one organism eats another.

1. producer

Organism that makes its own food.

1. protein

Molecule composed of amino acids, essential for body structure and function.

1. qualitative

Descriptive data.

quantitative

Numerical data

1. scavenger

Organism that feeds on dead organisms.

1. symbiosis

Close interaction between different species.

1. top down regulation

 Ecosystem regulation starting with predators.

1. trophic cascade

 Indirect effects in a food web due to predator-prey interactions.

1. trophic level

Position in a food chain.

Photosynthesis equation

co2 + h2o + sunlight = o2 + glucose