Glossary for Biology Level 3

Adaptations

• Abiotic factor - it’s the non-living factors that affects an organism in the ecosystem

• Biotic factor - it’s the living factors that includes other organisms in the ecosystem which affects the organism.

• Ecological Niche - the role and position a species has in its environment, including all interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.

• Fundamental Niche - represent all the environmental conditions where a species is able to live.

• Realised Niche - the actual space and conditions where a species lives, where it is best adapted to reproduce.

• Stimulus - any environmental factor

  - a detectable change in internal or external environment which evokes a response

• Tolerance - the range of conditions that an organism can withstand

• Receptors - sense organs that collect information about environmental conditions.

• Effectors - muscles and glands that respond to stimuli based on signals received from the central nervous system.

• Behaviour - anything an animal does in response to an environmental stimulus to aid in the animal’s survival, which can be innate or learned.

• Innate Behaviour - refers to the behaviour that is inherited (not learned)

  - animals inherits the genetic basis for a trait (survival of the fittest)

  - it’s the automatic responses and instinct

• Learned Behaviour - refers to the behaviour that is a result of practice, experiment, or observation.

• Habitat - refers to a place where an organism lives

• Structural Adaptation - adaptations that involve the structure of the body (what the organism has, eg. claws for hunting)

• Behavioural Adaptation - adaptations involving an organism’s behaviour in response to a stimuli (what the organism does)

• Physiological Adaptation - adaptations involving the aspects of chemical processes within an organism’s body (how the organism functions)

• Adaptive Behaviour - a trait or behaviour that contributes to an organism's survival and reproduction in response to environmental changes.

• Mechanoreceptor - responsible for detecting mechanical stress or strain (touch, hearing)

• Thermoreceptor - responsible for detecting temperature changes (hot or cold)

• Photoreceptor - responsible for detecting light

• Chemoreceptor - responsible for detecting chemicals (taste, smell)

Magnetoreceptor - responsible for detecting direction, altitude

Orientation in Animals

• Taxes - directional response, either towards (+) or away (-), to a stimuli

• Phototaxis - movement caused by light

• Thermotaxis - response of animals to temperature or heat

• Chemotaxis - response to chemical substances

• Geotaxis - animal’s response to gravity

• Rheotaxis - response to current of air or water

• Thigmotaxis - responsible for contact or touch

• Kinesis - non-directional response to a stimulus

• Orthokinesis - changes in speed movement depending on the intensity of stimulus

• Klinokinesis - changes in frequency or rate of turning depending on the intensity of stimulus