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Physics 101 > Cell Biology > Flashcards

Cell Biology Flashcards

(98 cards)

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1
Q

What is ecology?

A

Ecology is the study of an organism in its natural home.

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2
Q

Who is credited with coining the term ‘ecology’?

A

Ernst Haeckel.

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3
Q

What are the two main components of ecosystem structure?

A
  • Biotic components
  • Abiotic components
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4
Q

Define autecology.

A

The study of the interactions of an individual life form or a single species with the living and nonliving components of its environment.

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5
Q

Define synecology.

A

The study of the development, distribution, and structure of ecological communities.

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6
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

The global sum of all ecosystems and the zone of life on Earth.

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7
Q

What is a keystone species?

A

A predator species that is not present in large numbers but has a major influence on the characteristics of a community.

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8
Q

What is the Gaia hypothesis?

A

The view of Earth as a macro-organism proposed by James Lovelock.

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9
Q

Who is considered the ‘father’ of animal ecology?

A

Charles S. Elton.

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10
Q

Fill in the blank: An ecosystem is a system consisting of _______ and abiotic components that function together as a unit.

A

[biotic components]

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11
Q

What role did Theodore Roosevelt play in American conservation?

A

He established numerous national parks, forests, and bird reservations, protecting over 200 million acres of land.

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12
Q

What is human ecology?

A

The study of changes in vegetation succession and the recognition of humans as a major ecological factor.

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13
Q

List three branches of ecology.

A
  • Global Ecology
  • Landscape Ecology
  • Ecosystem Ecology
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14
Q

What is the main focus of population ecology?

A

Components that change and affect the hereditary composition and size of the population of life forms.

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15
Q

What is the significance of the term ‘biocoenosis’?

A

It refers to the concept of ecological community developed by Karl Möbius.

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16
Q

True or False: Ecology only studies living organisms.

A

False.

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17
Q

What did Eugenius Warming contribute to ecology?

A

He was an early founder of Ecological Plant Geography.

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18
Q

What are primary producers?

A

Plants capable of taking energy from the sun through photosynthesis.

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19
Q

What is the ecological hierarchy order?

A
  • Organism
  • Species (population)
  • Biotic community
  • Ecosystem
  • Biome
  • Biosphere
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20
Q

What is the role of consumers in an ecosystem?

A

Organisms that depend on other organisms for food.

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21
Q

Define landscape ecology.

A

It deals with the study of the exchange of vitality, materials, and living beings in ecosystems.

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22
Q

What is molecular ecology?

A

The study of the environment on the generation of proteins and how these proteins influence life forms and their environment.

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23
Q

Who was the first to describe ecological gradients of biodiversity increase toward the tropics?

A

Alexander Humboldt.

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24
Q

What are the two major components of ecosystem structure?

A

Biotic components and abiotic components

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25
Define primary producers in an ecosystem.
Plants capable of taking energy from the sun through photosynthesis
26
What are consumers in an ecosystem?
Organisms that depend on other organisms for food, divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers
27
What are primary consumers?
Herbivores that depend on producers (plants) for food
28
What do secondary consumers depend on for energy?
Primary consumers
29
What types of organisms can be secondary consumers?
Carnivores or omnivores
30
What are tertiary consumers?
Organisms that depend on secondary consumers for food
31
What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?
They recycle nutrients by thriving on dead and decaying organic matter
32
What are abiotic components?
Non-living components of an ecosystem, including air, water, soil, and temperature
33
List some abiotic factors.
* Soil * Water * Sunlight * Temperature * Air * Humidity * pH
34
What are edaphic factors?
Factors that relate to the structure and composition of the soil
35
Define soil texture.
The relative proportion of various particles in the soil, including sand, gravel, silt, and clay
36
Why is soil texture important?
It affects nutrient supplies, aeration, root development, and moisture content
37
What is a soil profile?
The vertical section of the soil showing layers of different types of soil
38
How does soil profile affect soil fertility?
A thick top soil represents a high level of soil fertility
39
What is soil air?
Air that fills soil pore spaces not occupied by water
40
True or False: Soil air is necessary for the growth of plants.
True
41
What is soil water?
Water present in the soil, obtained through rain or irrigation
42
Classify soil water.
* Hygroscopic water * Gravitational water * Capillary water
43
What is hygroscopic water?
Water tightly held by soil particles, not available to plants
44
Define gravitational water.
Water that moves freely down due to gravity
45
What is capillary water?
Water held in the fine and medium pores of soil particles by surface tension
46
What does pH measure in soil?
The degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil
47
What are soil organisms?
Animals that inhabit the soil, ranging from microscopic to larger organisms
48
Why is light important in ecosystems?
It is the primary source of energy for photosynthesis
49
How does temperature affect organisms?
It influences metabolic rates and can change developmental processes
50
What percentage of the human body is made up of water?
About 70%
51
How does water affect flora and fauna in habitats?
The amount of water influences the types of plants and animals found
52
What are hydrophytes?
Plants adapted to live in aquatic environments
53
Define mesophytes.
Plants that survive in moderate environments, neither too dry nor too wet
54
What are xerophytes?
Plants adapted to survive in dry conditions
55
What is a habitat?
A place where an organism lives or makes its home
56
What factors are considered when discussing habitats?
Abiotic and biotic factors
57
What are microhabitats?
Tiny areas that differ from surrounding environments
58
List types of terrestrial habitats.
* Forest habitat * Grassland habitat * Tundra habitat * Desert habitat * Taiga habitat
59
What characterizes tundra regions?
Cold temperatures, treeless areas, and short summers with long daylight
60
Define taiga.
A region south of tundra with evergreen coniferous forests
61
What are grassland habitats?
Ecosystems covered with heavy growth of grass, found in temperate and tropical regions
62
What are characteristics of deserts?
Driest places on Earth, receiving less than 10 inches of rain a year
63
What role do rainforests play in the ecosystem?
They maintain ecological balance and are sources of oxygen and biodiversity
64
What is an aquatic habitat?
Habitats found in water, including marine, estuarine, and freshwater
65
What is the epipelagic zone?
The upper part of the ocean with enough sunlight for photosynthesis
66
What defines the mesopelagic zone?
The middle part of the ocean, home to many vertebrate fishes
67
What is the abyssal zone?
A zone with almost no life, stretching to the ocean floor
68
What is an estuarine habitat?
Partly enclosed bodies of water where freshwater mixes with saltwater, creating brackish water
69
What are tectonic estuaries?
Estuaries formed by tectonic or volcanic activity
70
What is a fjord estuary?
Estuaries formed when glaciers create steep valleys filled with water
71
What are tectonic estuaries?
Estuaries formed by tectonic or volcanic activity, such as San Francisco Bay ## Footnote Created when plates shift and cause downward movement of land.
72
What characterizes fjord estuaries?
Formed when glaciers create steep valleys filled with water, e.g., Glacier Bay in Alaska ## Footnote Typically cold and narrow with seasonal water flow from rivers.
73
How are coastal plain estuaries formed?
Created when water levels rise and fill river valleys and glacier troughs, e.g., Chesapeake Bay ## Footnote Formed after the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last ice age.
74
What defines bar-built estuaries?
Estuaries protected from the ocean by barrier islands or sandbars, e.g., Matagorda Bay in Texas ## Footnote Barrier islands help protect against storms and erosion.
75
What is the salinity content of freshwater habitats?
Less than 1% salinity ## Footnote Organisms here are adapted to low salt content.
76
What are the three zones of ponds and lakes?
* Littoral zone * Limnetic zone * Profundal zone ## Footnote Each zone has distinct characteristics and organisms.
77
What organisms are found in the littoral zone?
Algae, crustaceans, fishes, and aquatic plants ## Footnote This zone is the warmest part of a lake or pond.
78
What characterizes the limnetic zone?
Open and well-lit area with plankton and freshwater fish ## Footnote Essential as a base of the food chain.
79
What is the profundal zone?
Colder and denser zone where heterotrophs consume dead plankton ## Footnote Organisms here are adapted to low light and oxygen levels.
80
What is the difference in water temperature between the source and mouth of rivers?
Water is cooler and fresher at the source than at the mouth ## Footnote The mouth has less clear water and less flora and fauna.
81
What types of areas make up wetlands?
* Marshes * Swamps * Bogs ## Footnote Wetlands have the highest species diversity compared to other ecosystems.
82
What do food chains represent?
Single pathways through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem ## Footnote They show who eats whom.
83
What are primary consumers?
Organisms that consume producers ## Footnote Example: Mice eating plant seeds.
84
What is the energy transfer efficiency in food chains?
About 10% of energy is passed to the next trophic level ## Footnote Energy is lost as heat, waste, or growth.
85
What is a food web?
Multiple pathways through which energy and matter flow, including many intersecting food chains ## Footnote Demonstrates complex feeding relationships in ecosystems.
86
What are trophic levels?
Feeding positions in a food chain or web ## Footnote At least two or three trophic levels are present in all food chains.
87
What is predation?
An ecological interaction where one organism kills and feeds on another ## Footnote The predator hunts the prey.
88
What is competition in ecological interactions?
When two different species compete for the same resource ## Footnote Can lead to extinction of one or both species.
89
What is parasitism?
An interaction where the parasite benefits while the host is harmed ## Footnote Example: Ticks feeding on dogs.
90
What is commensalism?
A one-sided beneficial relationship where one organism benefits without affecting the other ## Footnote Example: Remoras attaching to sharks.
91
What is mutualism?
A positive interaction where both organisms benefit from each other ## Footnote Example: Bees pollinating flowers while feeding on nectar.
92
What is symbiosis?
A close relationship where both parties benefit ## Footnote Example: Lichens formed by algae and fungi.
93
What is saprophytism?
A mode of life where fungi and bacteria derive energy from dead remains of organisms ## Footnote Important for maintaining the circulation of materials in nature.
94
What is the role of predator-prey relationships in nature?
Helps maintain balance in ecosystems by controlling prey populations ## Footnote Essential for the harmony of the environment.
95
Define host in ecological terms.
An organism that provides nutrition for another while being harmed ## Footnote Example: A dog being harmed by ticks.
96
Define parasite.
An organism that depends on a host for nutrition ## Footnote Example: Ticks feeding on a dog's blood.
97
Define predator.
An organism that hunts and eats another organism ## Footnote Example: A lion hunting a zebra.
98
Define prey.
An organism that is hunted and eaten by a predator ## Footnote Example: A zebra being hunted by a lion.

Physics 101 (2 decks)

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