Animals and plants - definitions Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Animals and plants - definitions Deck (86)
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1
Q

Define: abiotic, give examples

A

Physical factors of the environment, e.g. light, temp, humidity, altitude etc.

2
Q

Define: Biotic, give examples

A

factors in the environment due to there living things, e.g. parasitism, predators, producers etc.

3
Q

Define: habitat

A

the place where an organism lives

4
Q

Define: ecological niche

A

the sum total of an organism requirements and its inter-relationships with the other organism in the community

5
Q

Define: daily rhythm

A

a rhythm with a period of 24hrs linked to the day night cycle

6
Q

Define: circadian rhythm

A

a rhythm with a period of APPROXIMATELY 24hrs under constant environmental conditions (constant environmental conditions = no change therefore controlled by internal biological clock)

7
Q

Define: circalunar rhythm

A

rhythm with a period of APPROXIMATELY 29 days under constant environmental conditions that corresponds with the lunar cycle

8
Q

Define: circannual rhythm

A

a rhythm with a period of APPROXIMATELY 1 year under constant environmental conditions that corresponds with the earths circular motion of the earth

9
Q

Define: circatidal rhythm

A

a rhythm with a period of APPROXIMATELY 12 hours under constant environmental conditions that corresponds with the rise and fall of the tides

10
Q

Define: exogenous rhythm, give some examples

A

a rhythm that is controlled by an external environmental stimulus detected by an organism, e.g. the hours of light exposed per day, tidal rhythms etc.

11
Q

Define: endogenous rhythm

A

a rhythm that is controlled by an internal biological clock

12
Q

Define: period

A

the time it takes to complete one cycle of activity

13
Q

Define: phase shift

A

when the onset of the period of the rhythm is changed (occurs earlier or later)

14
Q

Define: free running period

A

the time when the organism is running without any zeitgeber

15
Q

Define: entrainment

A

When the internal biological clock is changed by an environmental cue (FYI this is only demonstrated in a controlled environment created by humans, VERY unlikely to happen in real life)

16
Q

Define: zeitgeber

A

any external or environmental cues that synchronises an organism biological clock

17
Q

Define: diurnal

A

active during the day and inactive during the night

18
Q

Define: nocturnal

A

active during the night and inactive during the day

19
Q

Define: crepuscular

A

active at dawn and dusk

20
Q

Define: arrhythmic

A

no regular pattern of activity

21
Q

Define: photoperiodic response

A

the response of an organism to the change in the day or night length

22
Q

Define: photoperiod

A

The period of time which organisms receive light during the day

23
Q

Define: short day plants

A

plants that flower when the photoperiod is less than the critical day length and the photoperiod is getting shorter

24
Q

Define: long day plants

A

plants that flower when the photoperiod exceeds a certain critical day length and the photoperiod is getting longer

25
Q

Define: vernalisation

A

the induction of flowering or seed gemination by a period of chilling

26
Q

Define: dormancy

A

metabolic inactivity in plants

27
Q

Define: abscission

A

When parts of a plant fall off (e.g. leaves, fruit, seeds)

28
Q

Define: hibernation

A

a state of animal inactivity and metabolic depression during cold weather (winter) characterised by lowered body temperature, slow breathing and heart rate and low metabolism

29
Q

Define: aestivation

A

a state of animal inactivity and metabolic depression during hot weather (summer) characterised by lowered body temperature, slow breathing and heart rate and low metabolism

30
Q

Define: diapause

A

a period of arrested development at an immature stage of growth due to unfavourable growing conditions in animals and can only be broken by a definite environmental stimulus such as a period of exposure to the cold, heat, wet etc.

31
Q

Define: tropism

A

the growth response of a plant towards or away from a stimulus coming from one direction

32
Q

Define: nastic response

A

the movement of a plant in response to a non-directional stimulus (e.g. temp, humidity)

33
Q

Define: kinesis

A

the change in rate of movement of the whole organism in response to the change in intensity of a non-directional stimulus

34
Q

Define: taxes (plural=taxis)

A

the movement of the whole organism towards or away from a directional stimulus

35
Q

Define: photo-

A

light

36
Q

Define: geo-

A

gravity

37
Q

Define: helio-

A

sun

38
Q

Define: thigmo-

A

touch

39
Q

Define: chemo-

A

chemical

40
Q

Define: thermo-

A

temperature

41
Q

Define: hydro-

A

water

42
Q

Define: migration

A

regular annual mass movement of animals from an area where they breed to an area where they do not breed

43
Q

Define: territory

A

the area of land which an animal will defend

44
Q

Define: home range

A

the area an animal will search for food, water, mates etc. (become home turf)

45
Q

Define: homing

A

the ability of an organism to find it way home over unfamiliar territory

46
Q

Define: intraspecific competition

A

competition between individuals of the same species

47
Q

Define: interspecific competition

A

competition between individuals of different species

48
Q

Define: agonistic, give some examples

A

any social behaviour related to fighting excluding predatory aggression, e.g. aggressive, submissive etc

49
Q

Define: parasitoid

A

an insect which lays it eggs in a living host

50
Q

Define: pathogen

A

a disease causing organism

51
Q

Define: mutualism

A

a relationship between 2 different species where both benefit

52
Q

Define: exploitation/parasitism/predation/herbivory

A

a relationship where one species is harmed while another is benefited

53
Q

Define: competition

A

a relationship where both species are harmed

54
Q

Define: batesian mimicry

A

the resemblance of a more dangerous species when actually being harmless

55
Q

Define: mullerian mimicry

A

several poisonous or dangerous species that all have similar warning colouration patterns

56
Q

Define: linear hierarchy

A

a linear order of animals from the most dominant (alpha) to the least dominant animal (omega)

57
Q

Define: species

A

a group or organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

58
Q

Define: population

A

a group of organism of the same species living together in a defined area

59
Q

Define: innate behaviour

A

genetically determined behaivour

60
Q

Define: endemic species

A

a species that s only found in one place

61
Q

Define: lianas/liane

A

climbing plant

62
Q

Define: epiphyte

A

perching plant

63
Q

Define: pair bond

A

a prolonged relationship between male and female associated with joint parental care

64
Q

Define: Structural adaptation, give examples

A

physical feature of an organism that helps it to survive, e.g. fur, wings, teeth

65
Q

Define: Physiological adaptation, give examples

A

Chemical features of an organism that helps it to survive, e.g. poison, anti-freeze, skin colour

66
Q

Define: Behavioural adaptation, give examples

A

How an animal acts in order to survive, e.g. nocturnal, social, carnivore

67
Q

Define: Fundamental Niche

A

The full environmental range of an organism

68
Q

Define: Realised niche

A

The actual range of an organism niche which is normally smaller than the fundamental niche due to competition

69
Q

Define: Ecology

A

The study of the relationship of organism with the environment around them, both biotic and abiotic

70
Q

Define: intraspecific relationships

A

relationships between individuals of the same species

71
Q

Define: interspecific relationhips

A

relationships between individuals of different species

72
Q

Define: Altruistic behaviour

A

helping less advantaged members of the group

73
Q

Define: Courtship

A

Behaviour that animals (typically the male) carry out to lure the opposite sex into mating

74
Q

Define: Commensalism

A

When one species benefits from another species while the other is not affected

75
Q

Define: Herbivory

A

process where an animal eats a plant or plant like organism

76
Q

Define: Predator-prey relationships

A

process where an animal eats another animal

77
Q

Define: parasitism

A

an organism which feeds off the host without killing them immediately

78
Q

Define: Allelopathy

A

a form of interspecific competition in plant species where one species produces a chemical that inhibits that ability of another plant species to grow around it (+,-)

79
Q

Define: Antibiosis

A

A form of interspecific competition when one species performs its normal chemical/behavioural functions which are of neutral affect to them, however they unintentionally negatively impact other species around them (0,-)

80
Q

Define: Stratification

A

distinct vertical pattern seen in the way species distribute themselves due to variations in light intensity, O2 availability etc.

81
Q

Define: Zonation

A

distinct horizontal pattern seen in the way species distribute themselves due to variations in exposure (e.g. light, air, temp)

82
Q

Define: Succession

A

A distinct pattern over time seen in a species distribution of a community as an ecosystem develops from pioneer plants to a climax community

83
Q

Define: Pioneer plant

A

Hardy plants that are able to survive in challenging conditions that over time make the conditions more favourable for other plants

84
Q

Define: Climax community

A

The final most developed ecosystem

85
Q

Define: Primary succession

A

the process of colonising a new environment that has not previously supported life

86
Q

Define: Secondary succession

A

the process of colonising an environment that has previously had life on it