Biology Chapter 3 – Flashcards
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Ecology
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the scientific study of interactions among organsims and between organisms and their environment.
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what does the biosphere contain?
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Parts of the planet in which all life exists
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How are human economics and ecology linked?
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humans live within the biosphere and depend on ecological processes to provide such essentials as food and drinkable water that can be bought, sold, or traded.
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Explain the relationship between ecosystems and biomes.
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...
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Examples of Biotic Factors,
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animals, bacteria, mushrooms, and plants
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Examples of Abiotic Factors.
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sunlight, heat, precipitation, soil, and air.
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both abiotic and biotic factors
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air, and soil.
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why might an ecologist set up and artificial environment in a laboratory?
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see how growing plants react to different conditions of light, temperature, or carbon dioxide concentration.
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why are many ecologists phenomena difficult to study?
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they occur over such long periods of time or over such long distances.
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why do ecologists make models?
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to help them understand phenomenas.
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what do autotrophs do during photsynthesis?
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they capture light energy and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugars.
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can some organisms survive without energy from the sun. Explain.
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yes, chemosythesis which is the process in which autotrophs use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates
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can organisms create their own energy? Explain
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no, they can only use it from other sources, which mostly come from the sun.
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herbivore
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heterotroph that eats plants, ex: cows, and rabbits
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carnivore
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heterotroph that eats animals, ex: snakes, dogs, eats, and river otters
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omnivore
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heterotroph that eats both plants and animals.ex: humans, bears, and pigs
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detritivore
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heterotroph that eats the remains of plants and animals
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decomposer
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heterotroph that chemically break down organic matter to obtain energy
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scavengers
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heterotroph that consumes the carcasses of dead animals but does not typically kill them itself.
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what is a consumer
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organism that relys on other organisms for energy and nutrients
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how would you categorize a consumer that eats prey and dead animal carcasses
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carnivore
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what role o producers play in establishing earth as a living planet?
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producers are at the bottom of the food chain and if they are not there many species would die.
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nutrient
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a chemical substance that an organism needs to survive
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chemosythesis
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a process in which producers use chemical energy to make carbohydrates
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consumer
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an organism that feeds on other organisms
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ecosytem
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all the organisms in one area and their physical environment
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photosythesis
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a process in which producers use light energy to make carbohydrates
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ecology
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the study of the biosphere
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primary producers
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an organism that uses chemical or light energy to produce its own food supply
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biosphere
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the portion of the earth and its atmosphere that contains organisms
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ecologist measure what in grams of organic matter per unit area
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biomass
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why do we study ecology?
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we live in a natural world and use its resources, natural effects our lives, and protect biodiversity
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abitoc factor
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non-living, physical componets, necessary for biotic to survive, ex: heat, weather, temp, current, and soil
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biotic
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living, biological influences, compete for food and space
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how do we study ecology
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observe, experimenting, modeling
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all life on earth exists in....
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the biosphere
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which term describes a group of different species that live togethere in a defined area?
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community
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name the different levels of organization within the biosphere from smallest to largest
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individual organsism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
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how do ecologists use modeling?
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understand phenomenas which are events that are difficult to study.
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give an example of how a biotic factor might influence the organisms in an ecosytem.
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one organsims can consume another and if one organism is killed off it affects the rest.
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primary producers are organisms that..
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use energy they take in from the environment to convert inorganic molecules into complex organic molecules
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how do all consumers get their energy?
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from eating organisms that are living or were once living
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the series of steps in which a large fish eats a small fish that has eaten algea
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food chain
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the total amount of living tissue at each trophic level in an ecosystem can be shown in...
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biomass pyramid.
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whic group of organisms is always found at the base of the food web or food chain?
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primary producers.
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why is the transfer of energy in a food chain usually only about 10 percent efficient?
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organsims spend much of their energy they acquire on life process and some energy is given off as heat
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nunutrients move through an ecosystem in
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biogeochemical cycle
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which biogeochemical cycle does not include a major path in which the substance cycles through the atmosphere?
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phosporous cycle.
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list two ways in which water enters the atmosphere in the water cycle?
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evoporation of water directly from a body of water or transpiration...
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explain nitrogen fixation
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is the process where bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonia...
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what is meant by "nutrient limitation"?
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a nutrient is in a short supply.
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phyramids of energy
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show relative amounts of energy available at different trophic levels
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pyramids of biomass
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ahow the total amount of living tissue at each trophic level
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pyramid of numbers
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shows the relative number of organisms at different trophic levels
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what are the four elements that make up 95% of the body?
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oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen
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chemical and physical process include what?
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clouds and precipitation, action of lightning, and flow of running water
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why is the earth considered a closed system
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all matter is recycled in our biosphere
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how do humans add nitrogen to the biosphere?
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the use and manufacturing of fertilizers
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compare abd contrast the flow of energy and the flow of matter through the same environment?
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flow of energy flows one way, and the flow of matter can be recycled. they both flow through an organsim
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carbon cycle
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cycle which involves photosynthesis and human activities such as burning is the key ingredient to all organic matter
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nitrogen cycle
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cycle which nitrogen fixation and denitrification is needed by all organisms to build proteins
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phosphorus cycle
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cycle which phosphorus is stored in rocks and ocean sediments and later is gradually released into water and soil. needed for molecules such as DNA, and RNA.
