SCIENCE 8, Chapter 4, Organization of Life, Environmental Science

ecosystem

all of the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment.

protists and plants

organisms that can make their own food.

Chihuahua dog

exists because of artificial selection.

artificial selection

the selective breeding of organisms by humans for specific desirable characteristics.

oak tree, coral reef, and vacant lot

examples of an ecosystem.

Sun

provides most of the energy for ecosystems.

Habitat

This is the place where it lives, has specific characteristics that an organism needs in order to live there, and is made up of biotic and abiotic factors.

The reason some organisms are more likely to survive ( limiting factors)

because they have certain physical traits, engage in certain behaviors and lack certain physical traits.

Genes

These protect certain organism from chemicals and cause them to be resistant of the chemical.

Reproduce

In order for evolution to occur in a population, individuals with a trait that is "naturally selected for" must be able to do this.

Insect

an animals that is successful because it moves quickly, reproduces rapidly, and has a waterproof external skeleton.

abiotic factors

this describes soil and temperature in an ecosystem.

Controlling pests with chemicals

Humans have inadvertently promoted the evolution of insects that are resistant to insecticides by trying to do this.

Organisms

can adapt to their physical surroundings and to other organisms.

6 kingdoms

Animal, Plant, Protist, Fungi, Eubacteria & Archaebacteria

Archaebacteria

Single celled; lacked cell nuclei; reproduce by dividing in half: often found in harsh environments, examples methanogens and thermophiles

Eubacteria

single celled; lack nuclei; reproduce by dividing in half; incredibly common, examples proteobacteria and cyanobacteria

Fungi

absorb their food through their body surface; have cell walls; most live on land

Protists

most single celled but some have many cells; most live in water, examples: paramecium, euglenas and amoebas

Plants

These organisms have many cells, make their own food by photosynthesis and have cell walls and chloroplasts.

Animals

These organisms have many cells, no cell walls, ingest their food and live on land and water.

Energy, Mineral nutrients, Carbon dioxide, Oxygen, Living organisms

basic components of an ecosystem.

Biotic factors

Living and once living parts of an ecosystem

Abiotic factors

Non-living parts of an ecosystem

Habitat

The place an organism lives

Evolution

Any change in genetic characteristics of a population from one generation to the next

Hereditary

relating to genetics or inheritance

Natural Selection

Individuals with genetic traits that make them more likely to grow up and reproduce in the existing environment will become more common in the population from one generation to the next

Charles Darwin

Proposed that over many generations, natural selection causes traits of populations to change to survive

Adaptation

An inherited trait that increases the organism's chances of survival and reproduction in a given environment

Coevolution

The process of two species evolving in response to long-term interactions with each other

Resistance

The ability of one or more organisms to tolerate a particular chemical that is designed to kill it

red backed salamander's habitat

damp forest floor

organism

is an individual living thing.

population

all the members of the same species that live in the same place at the same time.

species

a group of organisms that can mate to produce fertile offspring.

community

a group of various species that live in the same place and interact with each other.