Living Environments

Question 1

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 1

All living and nonliving things that interact in a specific area.

Question 2

Define biotic factors.

Answer 2

Living parts of the ecosystem (plants, animals)

Question 3

What are abiotic factors?

Answer 3

Nonliving parts of the ecosystem (water, sunlight, soil).

Question 4

What is biodiversity?

Answer 4

The variety of life on Earth, essential for ecosystem resilience.

Question 5

What are producers in an ecosystem?

Answer 5

Organisms that make their own food, usually through photosynthesis.

Question 6

Define consumers.

Answer 6

Organisms that eat other organisms to obtain energy.

Question 7

What are decomposers?

Answer 7

Organisms that break down dead material for energy (bacteria, fungi).

Question 8

What is a food chain?

Answer 8

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten.

Question 9

Define a food web.

Answer 9

A network of interrelated food chains in an ecosystem.

Question 10

What is carrying capacity?

Answer 10

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain.

Question 11

Describe ecological succession.

Answer 11

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Question 12

What is a niche?

Answer 12

The role and position a species has in its environment.

Question 13

What are invasive species?

Answer 13

Non-native species that spread widely and cause harm to the environment.

Question 14

Define habitat destruction.

Answer 14

The process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species.

Question 15

What is conservation biology?

Answer 15

The study and practice of protecting biodiversity and natural resources.

Question 16

What are keystone species?

Answer 16

Species that have a disproportionately large impact on their environment.

Question 17

What is an observation in scientific terms?

Answer 17

What is seen or measured.

Question 18

Define inference.

Answer 18

A conclusion based on observation or evidence.

Question 19

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 19

An untested prediction that states both cause and effect (“If-then” statement).

Question 20

What constitutes a theory?

Answer 20

A broad explanation of natural events supported by strong evidence.

Question 21

What is the purpose of a controlled experiment?

Answer 21

To compare the results between two or more groups.

Question 22

Define the experimental group in an experiment.

Answer 22

The group being tested or receiving treatment.

Question 23

What is a control group?

Answer 23

The “normal” group identical to the experimental group except it does not receive the treatment.

Question 24

What is a placebo?

Answer 24

A fake treatment given to the control group to mimic the experimental conditions.

Question 25

Where is the independent variable plotted on a graph?

Answer 25

On the X axis.

Question 26

Where is the dependent variable plotted on a graph?

Answer 26

On the Y axis.

Question 27

What is diffusion?

Answer 27

Movement of molecules from high to low concentrations without energy.

Question 28

Define osmosis.

Answer 28

The diffusion of water into or out of a cell.

Question 29

What is aerobic respiration?

Answer 29

Respiration that requires oxygen and produces more ATP.

Question 30

What happens during anaerobic respiration in humans?

Answer 30

Lactic acid is produced, causing muscle fatigue.

Question 31

What are the main components of the immune system?

Answer 31

White blood cells.

Question 32

What is the function of antibodies?

Answer 32

To attack specific antigens.

Question 33

How does genetic engineering typically alter organisms?

Answer 33

By inserting genes from one organism into another.

Question 34

What is the function of ribosomes?

Answer 34

Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis in the cell.

Question 35

What is an enzyme?

Answer 35

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body without being consumed by the reaction.

Question 36

What is homeostasis?

Answer 36

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment within an organism.

Question 37

What are nucleic acids?

Answer 37

Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are molecules that store and transmit genetic information.

Question 38

What is osmosis?

Answer 38

Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

Question 39

What is genetic drift?

Answer 39

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution involving random changes in allele frequencies within a population.

Question 40

What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?

Answer 40

Chlorophyll is a pigment that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis.

Question 41

What is an allele?

Answer 41

An allele is a variant form of a gene.

Question 42

What is the difference between a genotype and a phenotype?

Answer 42

A genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, while a phenotype is the physical expression of the genotype.

Question 43

What is mutualism?

Answer 43

Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit from the interaction.

Question 44

What is transcription in biology?

Answer 44

Transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA.

Question 45

What is translation in biology?

Answer 45

Translation is the process by which ribosomes synthesize proteins using the mRNA transcript.

Question 46

What is a food web?

Answer 46

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Question 47

What is ecological succession?

Answer 47

Ecological succession is the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time.

Question 48

What role do centrioles play in animal cells?

Answer 48

Centrioles help organize the assembly of microtubules during cell division.

Question 49

What is the significance of the cell wall in plant cells?

Answer 49

The cell wall provides structural support, protection, and shape to plant cells.

Question 50

What is a trophic level in an ecosystem?

Answer 50

A trophic level is a step in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy from primary producers to various consumers.

Question 51

What is respiration?

Answer 51

Organisms get energy by breaking the bonds of sugar molecules. The released energy is used to make a molecule of ATP, which gives all organisms their energy

Question 52

What is diffusion?

Answer 52

movement of molecules from high concentrations to low concentrations. Requires no energy (passive transport)