NCEA Level 3 Biology - Plant and Animal Responses
Kinesis
A non-directional response to a stimulus in animals
Home range
A set area which animals seldom leave
Pecking order
A social order lead by alpha individual
Pair bond
A stable relationship between animals of opposite sex that ensures mating
Crepuscular
Active at dusk and dawn
Nocturnal
Active at night, inactive during the day
Diurnal
Active during the day, inactive at night
Mimicry
Adaptive resemblance between unrelated species
Biological clock
An internal timing system which controls timing of activities in organisms
Mutualism
An interspecific relationship where both benefit
Predation
An interspecific relationship where one individual benefits by hunting and killing the other
Parasitism
An interspecific relationship where one individual is benefited and the other host is harmed
Commensialism
An interspecific relationship where one organism benefits, but the other is unaffected
Stimulus
Anything that causes an organism to react
Lek
Area in which males congregate to mate with females
Territory
Area that is defended by an animal
Exogenous
Behaviour driven by external stimuli
Endogenous
Behaviour driven by internal stimuli
Free-running
Behaviour rhythm proceeding independently of external changes
Learning
Behaviour that is modified by experience
IAA
Chemical name for auxin
Pheromone
Chemical used as a signal to other members of same species
Interspecific
Competition between members of different species
Intraspecific
Competition between members of the same species
Instinct
Complex behaviour that is not modified by experience
Crypsis
Concealment method in which animal is coloured to match environment
Meristem
Continuous growth area in plants (apical bud; root tip)
Circadian
Daily activity, approximately 24 hours
Navigation
Determining one's position relative to other locations
Zeitgeber
External environmental cue by which an internal clock is reset
Auxin
Growth hormone which plays an essential role in tropisms
Vernalisation
Induction of flowering by a period of chilling
Antibiosis
Inhibition of the growth of bacteria by the production of growth-inhibiting substances by fungi
Parental care
Investment of resources by parents in the survival of offspring
Mullerian mimicry
Mimicry between unpalatable species
Circalunar
Monthly activity period, 29 days
Arrhythmic
No regular pattern found in organisms in unchanging habitats e.g. caves
r-Strategist
Organism which produces large number of offspring but gives them little care
k-Strategist
Organisms who produce and care for a small number of offspring
Critical day length
Photoperiod required for plants to flower
Abscisic acid
Plant growth substance that acts as a powerful growth inhibitor and plays an important role in maintaining dormancy in seeds and winter buds
Gibberellin
Plant growth substance that promotes elongation of shoots
Tropism
Plant movement by growth. Direction of response depends on direction of stimulus
Phytochrome
Plant protein involved with measurement of photoperiod
Thigmonasty
Plant response to touch e.g. sudden closing of Mimosa leaves when touched
Day-neutral plant
Plant that flowers independently of day length
Long day plant
Plant that flowers when a day length exceeds a certain minimum value
Short day plant
Plants that flower when day length is less than a certain minimum value
Entrainment
Process by which an internal clock becomes reset by rhythmic environmental factors
Photoperiodism
Regulation by activity by day length
Batesian mimicry
Resemblance of a harmless species to one that is poisonous
Nastic response
Reversible, non-directional movement response by a plant in response to a change in an abiotic factor
Courtship
Series of signals exchanged between male and female and ending in mating
Homing
The ability to find and return to the home site
Klinokinesis
The amount of random turning is related to the intensity of stimulus
Migration
The cyclic mass movement of a population between two habitats
Positive chemotaxis
The movement of an animal towards a chemical e.g. movement of male moth toward female moth
Taxes
The movement of an animal towards or away from stimulus from one direction
Orthokinesis
The speed of the movement is related to the intensity of the stimulus
Circatidal
Tidal activity period, approximately 12.4 hours
Chemotropism
Tropic movement in response to a chemicsl
Thigmotropism
Tropic movement in response to contact
Gravitropism
Tropic movement in response to gravity
Phototropism
Tropic movement in response to light
Hydrotropism
Tropic movement in response to water
Stellar navigation
Using the stars to navigate
Solar navigation
Using the sun to navigate
Klinostat
Wheel to which germinating plants can be attached and rotated
Phase shift
When the onset of the period of rhythm is changed
Hierarchy
Where animals are ranked
Circannual
Yearly activity period, approximately 360 days
Precocial young
Young born in an advanced state, with eyes open
