Biology

Question 1

What is the definition of biology?

Answer 1

The study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment

Biology encompasses various fields including ecology, genetics, and evolution.

Question 2

What are the characteristics of living things?

Answer 2

Characteristics include growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, metabolism, and homeostasis

These characteristics distinguish living organisms from non-living matter.

Question 3

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 3

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment

Ecosystems can vary in size and can be found in various environments.

Question 4

What do the terms biotic and abiotic mean?

Answer 4

Biotic refers to living components, abiotic refers to non-living components

Examples of biotic factors include plants and animals, while abiotic factors include water and soil.

Question 5

What makes an ecosystem sustainable?

Answer 5

An ecosystem is sustainable when it can maintain its processes and functions over time

This often involves a balance between biotic and abiotic factors.

Question 6

What are ways ecosystems become disrupted?

Answer 6

Disruptions can occur due to pollution, deforestation, climate change, and invasive species

Each of these can alter the balance of ecosystems significantly.

Question 7

Name the four spheres of Earth.

Answer 7

Atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere

These spheres interact with one another and are essential for ecosystem function.

Question 8

What is the definition of nutrients?

Answer 8

Substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life

Nutrients are crucial for the health of organisms and ecosystems.

Question 9

What is the nutrient cycle?

Answer 9

The process through which nutrients are recycled in the ecosystem

This includes the movement of nutrients through various forms and organisms.

Question 10

How does chemistry help us understand nutrient cycles?

Answer 10

Chemistry provides insights into how elements interact and transform in ecosystems (Particle Theory)

Understanding chemical processes is essential for studying nutrient dynamics.

Question 11

List the three main nutrient cycles.

Answer 11

• Water cycle
• Nitrogen cycle
• Carbon cycle

Each cycle plays a critical role in sustaining life on Earth.

Question 12

What are the definitions of solar, thermal, and chemical energy?

Answer 12

Solar energy is energy from the sun, thermal energy is heat energy, and chemical energy is energy stored in chemical bonds

Each type of energy plays a different role in ecosystems.

Question 13

How is solar energy used in ecosystems?

Answer 13

Solar energy is used by producers to create food through photosynthesis

This process is foundational for energy flow in ecosystems.

Question 14

What is a producer?

Answer 14

An organism that produces its own food, typically through photosynthesis

Producers are essential to food chains as they provide energy for consumers.

Question 15

What are the starting materials of photosynthesis?

Answer 15

Carbon dioxide and water

Plants obtain these materials from the atmosphere and soil.

Question 16

What are the products of photosynthesis?

Answer 16

Glucose and oxygen

These products are vital for the survival of both plants and animals.

Question 17

What is cellular respiration?

Answer 17

A process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water

It is essential for the metabolic functions of living organisms.

Question 18

What are the starting materials of cellular respiration?

Answer 18

Glucose and oxygen

These materials are derived from the products of photosynthesis.

Question 19

What are the products of cellular respiration?

Answer 19

Energy (ATP), carbon dioxide, and water

This process releases energy that organisms use for various functions.

Question 20

Why are photosynthesis and cellular respiration considered complementary reactions?

Answer 20

Photosynthesis produces the oxygen and glucose needed for cellular respiration, while respiration produces carbon dioxide and water needed for photosynthesis

This interdependence is crucial for ecosystem balance.

Question 21

What is a consumer?

Answer 21

An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms

Consumers play a key role in energy transfer within food chains.

Question 22

What is a food chain?

Answer 22

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another

Food chains illustrate the flow of energy in an ecosystem.

Question 23

What information do food chains provide?

Answer 23

They show feeding relationships and energy flow between organisms

Understanding food chains helps in studying ecosystem dynamics.

Question 24

What is the 10% rule?

Answer 24

Only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is passed on to the next level

This rule explains why there are fewer top predators than primary producers.

Question 25

What is a trophic level?

Answer 25

Each step in a food chain or food web where energy is transferred ## Footnote Trophic levels include producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, etc.

Question 26

What is the difference between primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary consumers?

Answer 26

Primary consumers eat producers, secondary consumers eat primary consumers, tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers, and quaternary consumers are at the top of the food chain ## Footnote This classification helps in understanding food webs.

Question 27

Why are more than 4 trophic levels uncommon?

Answer 27

Energy decreases significantly at each trophic level, limiting the number of levels that can be sustained ## Footnote This is due to the 10% rule of energy transfer.

Question 28

What is a food web?

Answer 28

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem ## Footnote Food webs provide a more accurate representation of energy flow than food chains.

Question 29

What is the definition of population?

Answer 29

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area ## Footnote Population dynamics are essential for understanding ecological interactions.

Question 30

What is exponential growth?

Answer 30

A rapid increase in population size when resources are unlimited ## Footnote This type of growth is not sustainable in the long term.

Question 31

What is a limiting factor?

Answer 31

An environmental condition that restricts population growth ## Footnote Examples include food availability, predation, and habitat space.

Question 32

What are tolerance range graphs?

Answer 32

Graphs that illustrate the range of conditions that a species can tolerate ## Footnote Concepts include tolerance range, optimum range, and zones of intolerance.

Question 33

What is carrying capacity?

Answer 33

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely ## Footnote Carrying capacity is affected by resource availability and environmental conditions.

Question 34

What are interspecific and intraspecific interactions?

Answer 34

Interspecific interactions occur between different species, while intraspecific interactions occur among individuals of the same species ## Footnote Both types of interactions can influence population dynamics.

Question 35

List the different types of biotic interactions.

Answer 35

* Competition * Predation * Parasitism * Mutualism * Commensalism ## Footnote Each interaction can have different effects on the species involved.

Question 36

What is symbiosis?

Answer 36

A close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological species ## Footnote Some biotic interactions, such as mutualism and commensalism, are considered symbiotic.

Question 37

In what ways do ecosystems benefit humans?

Answer 37

Ecosystems provide services such as clean air and water, pollination, and climate regulation ## Footnote These services are essential for human survival and well-being.

Question 38

Why is it important to protect ecosystems?

Answer 38

Protecting ecosystems is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and the services they provide ## Footnote Ecosystem degradation can lead to loss of resources and increased vulnerability to natural disasters.

Question 39

What are ecosystem services?

Answer 39

The benefits that humans derive from ecosystems ## Footnote Key terms include cultural services, ecotourism, and sustainable use.