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Unit 8
AP Biology Unit 8 Vocab- Magdaleno
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Biotic factor | Living component of an ecosystem |
Abiotic factor | Non-living component of an ecosystem; ex: amount of light, temperature |
Biomass | The total mass of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a particular habitat |
Biodiversity | The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem |
Autotroph | An organism that obtains organic food molecules (ex: glucose) without eating; first trophic level in an ecosystem |
Photosynthesis | The process of using energy from sunlight to produce carbohydrates or food |
Cellular respiration | The process of breaking down organic molecules to produce ATP |
Chemosynthesis | The process of using energy derived from inorganic molecules to produce carbohydrates or food |
Inorganic | Not consisting of or deriving from living matter; ex: ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane |
Heterotroph | An organism that obtains organic food molecules (ex: glucose) by eating |
Detritivore/ decomposers | A consumer that derives its energy and nutrients from nonliving organic material such as corpses, fallen plant material, and the wastes of living organisms |
Omnivores | Eats both consumers and producers |
Carnivores | Eats other consumers |
Herbivory | An interaction in which an organism eats parts of a plant or algae |
Trophic level | A feeding level in an ecosysem |
Primary consumer | An organism that eats plants or other autotrophs; a herbivore or omnivore |
Secondary consumer | An organism that eats the first consumer; a carnivore or omnivore |
Symbiosis | A relationship between organisms of two different species that live together in direct contact; ex: mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism |
Mutualism | A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit |
Parasitism | A symbiotic relationship in which one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of another, the host, by living within or on the host |
Invasive species | Species that have been introduced, or moved, by human activities to a location they do not naturally occur and cause ecological problems |
Exponential growth | Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment; represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time |
Logistic growth | Population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity |
Carrying capacity | The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources; symbolized as K |
Limiting factor | A factor that restrains growth of a population |
Density-dependent factor | Are factors where the effects on the size or growth of a population vary with the density of the population itself; ex: competition for resources, predation, or disease |
Keystone species | A species that is not necessarily abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on community structure by the nature of its ecological role or niche |
Density-independent factor | Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is not dependent on the number of individuals in the population; ex: deforestation |
Population | A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area |
Community | All the organisms that inhabit a particular area |
Commensalism | A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected |
Thermoregulation | Process of maintaining an internal temperature within a tolerable range. |
Endotherm | An organism that is internally warmed by a heat-generating metabolic process; warm blooded |
Ectotherm | Ectotherm |