Biology Midterm

Stromatolite

Early rock-like cell structures

Macromolecules

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

Proteins

Nutrients, made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, that the body uses to build and maintain its cells and tissues.

Lipids

Energy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Carbohydrates

The raw material energy in the cells that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Nucleic acids

Information storing macromolecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus

Metabolism

All of the chemical reactions that occur within an organism

CHNOPS

the most common elements in all life forms

Monomer

A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.

Dehydration synthesis

A chemical reaction in which two molecules are bonded together with the removal of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

Breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water

Cell theory

idea that all living things are composed of one or more cells, cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things, and new cells are produced from existing cells

Unicellular

Made of a single cell

Multicellular

Made up of more than one cell.

Energy (7 characteristics of life)

Used by organisms along with materials from the environment to carry out life processes like metabolism.

Order (7 characteristics of life)

cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and organisms

Response (7 characteristics of life)

a reaction to a stimulus

Regulation (7 characteristics of life)

maintaining a regular internal steady state

Reproduction (7 characteristics of life)

the production of offspring, sexually or asexually

Growth (7 characteristics of life)

becoming bigger, using energy to build different cell types, tissues or organs

Evolution (7 characteristics of life)

Organisms with more advantageous mutations/traits reproduce and survive more frequently changing the characteristics of populations over generations.

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

Biodiversity

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Population ecology

the study of factors that cause populations to increase or decrease

Population size

total number of individuals in a population

4 factors for population size

birth rate, death rate, emigration, immigration

Population density

The number of individuals, in a population, in an area of a specific size

Mark-recapture method

A sampling technique used to estimate wildlife populations by catching, tagging, releasing, and recapturing organisms.

Sample-plot method

A sampling technique used to estimate wildlife populations by counting organisms in a plot and multiplying by the total area.

3 types of dispersion

clumped, uniform, random

Carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

Density-dependent factor

limiting factors that depend on population sizes like predators, nutrients, and diseases.

Density-independent factor

limiting factors that don't depend on population sizes like predators, nutrients, and diseases.

Population growth rate

how fast a specific population grows

Exponential population growth

population increase under idealized conditions without a carrying capacity

Logistic population growth

population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

Competition

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

Herbivory

interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds on producers (such as plants)

Symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed (+/-)

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected (+/0)

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit (++)

Species diversity

The number/species richness and relative abundance of species in a biological community.

Species richness

the number of different species in a community

Relative abundance

The proportional abundance of different species in a community.

Simpson's diversity index

a way to measure the diversity of species in a community; equation is D = Σn(n-1)/N(N-1)

Keystone species

A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

Terrestrial ecosystems

ecosystems on land

Aquatic ecosystems

water ecosystems

Biomes

a broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions.

Trophic level

Organization of animals based on their nutrition source.

Energy pyramid

A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web

Producer/Autotroph

An organism that can make its own food.

Photoautotroph

organism that uses energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbon compounds

Chemoautotroph

organism that makes organic carbon molecules from carbon dioxide using energy from chemical reactions

Primary consumer

An organism that eats producers

Heterotroph

organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

Zooplankton

Tiny floating organisms that are either small animals or protozoa.

Secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

Carnivore

consumer that eats only other consumers

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both producers and consumers

Tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers

Decomposer

organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter

10% rule

Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.

food web

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

food chain

a simplified illustration of energy flow with a series of organisms

Bioaccumulation

An increased concentration of contaminent within an organism over time

Biomagnification

Accumulation of contaminents at successive levels of the food chain

Environmental science

the study of how humans interact with the environment

Climate

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time

Climate change

a change in global or regional climate patterns

Greenhouse gasses

a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gasses.

Greenhouse effect

Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by greenhouse gasses.

Weather

The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place; is more specific than climate.

Environmental justice

the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Gene

A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait

Genetic diversity

the variety of genes within a given species

Natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.