Term | Definition |
energy | capacity to do work; requires material & energy. |
reproduction | to make more of itself |
homeostasis | staying the same, internal environment** |
evolution | frequency of changes in population. Adaptations that stuck around from generation - generation. |
KPCOFGS | K-kingdom
P-phylum
C-class
O-order
F-family
G-genus
S-species |
Main domains? | Archae, Bacteria, Eukarya |
prokaryotes | lack of nucleus |
eukaryotes | w/ nucleas |
taxonomy | assignment of binomial(two part name) to each species. First word(capitalized): genus
second word: specific species name. Homo sapiens. |
biosphere | zone of air, land, and water on earth where living organisms are found |
population | where individual organisms are found, members of a species within a particular area |
community | all the different populations in the same area |
biodiversity | total number of species, variability of their genes, and the ecosystems in which they live |
biology | study of life |
observations | using 5 senses, instruments, knowledge/past experiences |
inductive reasoning | creative thinking to combine isolated facts into a whole |
hypothesis | a well educated guess or explanation for a natural event. must be able to be repeated |
deductive reasoning | if, then logic. |
experimental design | how a scientist plans to conduct his experiment |
model | representation of an actual subject |
theory | concepts that join together by well supported and related hypothesis. supported by a broad range of observations and repeated positive experiments |
principle | something accepted by an overwhelming number of people. (evolution) |
abiotic | the nonliving aspects. sunlight, inorganic nutrients, water availability, wind speed, average temperature, type of soil, and conditions |
biotic | various populations of species that form a community |
autotrophs | self feeders. produce their own food and food for other organisms in the population by an outside energy source. |
heterotrophs | need an outside source, they consume food. |
detritus | partially decomposed matter in the water and soil. |
ecological pyramid | large energy losses that occur between successive trophic levels |
trophic level | all the organisms that feed at a particular link in a food chain |
reservoir | source normally unavailable to producers; fossilized remains, rocks, deep sea sediments |
exchange pools | source from which organisms generally take chemicals such as the atmosphere or soil |
biotic community | chemicals move along food chains perhaps never entering a pool |
water cycle step 1 | fresh water is distilled from salt water, suns rays cause fresh water to evaporate from sea water and the salts are left behind |
water cycle step 2 | condensation occurs, amount of water evaporating from the ocean exceeds the amount of precipitation that falls back into the ocean; often the excess moves over and falls on land. |
water cycle step 3 | water also evaporates from land. plants. bodies of water. gravity eventually returns all fresh water to the sea . |
precipitation | rain snow sleet hail and fog |
aquifers | rock layers that contain water and release it in appreciable quantities to wells or springs. |
How are aquifers recharged? | when snow/rain percolate into the soil |
H20 human activities | using too much aquifer water, ground water levels are falling-could run out |
phosphorous cycle | limited for plants. p moves from rocks on land to the oceans where it gets trapped in sediments. P then moves back onto land following a geological upheavel |
p human activities | fertilizers, cause too much algae in water, when algae die decomposers use all the oxygen so massive fish kill |
nitrogen cycle | unavailable for plants - also limiting nutrient for plants |
nitrogen fixation | nitrogen gas converts into ammonium ions - plants can use |
nitrification | nitrogen gas converted to nitrate - ammonium ions in the soil are converted to nitrate by soil bacteria---first nitrite producing bacteria convert ammonium ions-nitrite; and then nitrate producing bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate |
chemautotrophs | two groups of bacteria in nitrification called the nitrifying bacteria |
dentrification | conversion of nitrate back to nitrogen gas-enter the atmosphere, would counterbalance nitrogen fixation except human activites |
nitrogen cycle human activities | fertilizer does same as p, fertilizer use results in nitrous oxide - causes acid rain and ozone depletion |
deserts | rainfall: less than 25 cm
temp:v. hot
animals: reptiles, snakes, insects, kangaroo, coyotes, hawk, rodents |
savannas | some trees
cool dry season ---hot rainy season
trees: acacia
animals: elephants, giraffes, lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards,zebras, buffalo. rhino |
grasslands | rainfall greater than 25 cm no trees
grasses - seasonal
bison migrate
ground squirrels hibernate |
shrublands | dry summers - rain during winter
small thick evergreen leaves - waxy - flammable quickly regrow
coyotes jackrabbits gophers rodents |
tropical forests | minimum of 190 cm rainfall
richest land
most wildlife - variety of animals, plants, insects |
temperate decidous forests | south of taiga
75 - 150 cm rainfall
seasons well defined
oak beech maple leaves fall & regrow
squirrels skunks rabbits turkeys pheasants red foxes deer bears |
coniferous forests | cone/needle trees spruce pine fir
v cold lots of snow
mountains
deer moose bear mountain lion beavers |
tundra | 20 cm rainfall
not a desert bc of melting snow - creates little ponds and bogs
short grasses
reindeer caribou wolves birds insects |