BIOLOGY: LIFE IN THE NATURAL WORLD

Define Population

A group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area

What are Biological species?

A group of populations whose individuals have the potential to interbreed and produce fertile offsprings

What can phenotype variations be influenced by?

Environmental conditions but genes are not changed

Define Mutations

Inheritable changes in a gene or chromosome

Cline

Measurable, gradual changes over a geographical region in the average of some phenotypic characters such as color and size

Standard Deviation (SD)

Measure of reliability around a mean

What is ecology?

The study of the complex web interactions between organisms

Define Evapotranspiration

The total amount of water from surfaces of the ground and vegetation

Define Biotic

The living, Consist of the plants, animals, and microbes

Define Climate

The long term average pattern of weather and may be local, regional, or global ◆Determines Flora and Fauna

Define Abiotic

The physical, Consist of the atmosphere, climate, soil and water

Define water cycle

The process by which water travels in a sequence from the AIR to EARTH and returns to the ATMOSPHERE

Adiabatic Lapse Rate

The rate of temperature change with elevation

Define Environmental Lapse Rate

The rate which temperature decreases with altitude

What does ecology study?

The relationship between organisms and their environment

1.Eco= 2.System=

1. Environment 2. Functions

Describe the product of 2 conditions from Natural Selection?

1. Variation among individuals within a population in some "heritable" characteristics 2. Variation results in differences among individuals in their survival and reproduction

What do Gene mutations to the gene pool?

Add variations

Define Community

All populations of different species living and interacting within an ecosystem

Allele

Alternative form of a gene

What is vegetation affected by?

Altitude ( temperature and moisture)

What are some of the physical conditions that surround an organism?

Ambient temperature Moisture Light intensity

Ecosystem

An environment that functions as a collection of related parts that function as a unit

What do physical conditions that surround and organism influence?

Basic physiological processes that are crucial to survival and growth

What are the two (2) basic interacting components of the ecosystem?

Biotic Abiotic

Define Evolution

Change in gene frequency overtime

Adaptations

Characteristics that enable organisms to thrive in a given environment

Dominant Gene (AA)

Covers up effects of another gene

Define Adiabatic Cooling

Decrease in air temperature through expansion ◆Air condition process

Heterozygous

Different

Recessive Gene(aa)

Effect will be covered by the dominant trait

Where would most of the fresh water be found?

Glaciers and Ice caps =Polar Regions and Greenland

What are the matched pairs that chromosomes come in called?

Homologous Chromosomes

Phenotype

How it physically appears

Genotype

How the genes are genetically

Ogallala

Largest fresh water equifer

Define Transpiration

Loss of water from plants, especially leaves

Define Median

Mid-point in a distribution

Define Mode

Most frequently occupying value

Define Diffusion

Movement from high to lower concentration

Define Evaporation

Movement from liquid to gaseous(vapor) state

Define Infiltration

Movement into soil

Define Average

Numerical mid-point

Charles Darwin

Observant Proposed Natural Selection ◆different types of selections resulted in in different populations

Hybrids

Offspring results from the mating of two (2) different species

What are species ?

Organisms of the same kind that are able to breed in nature and produce fertile offsprings

Sample

Part of the population actually observed

Ecotypes

Population adapted to its unique local environmental conditions

What are the sub - divisions of ecology?

Population ecology Community ecology Physiological ecology Evolutionary ecology Behavioral ecology Landscape ecology Conservation ecology Restoration ecology Global ecology

Gregor Mendel 1822-1884

Proposed heritable traits=GENES

What two data gathering methods is ecological science?

Qualitative Quantitative

What does an organism do to the ecosystem?

Responds and modifies to be part of the environment

Homozygous

Same

Define Genes

Sequence of DNA molecules contained in a thread like structure called chromosomes

If the earth were not spinning what would happen to the air?

The air would circulate in giant loops equator to pole

Define Weather

Short term current conditions (specific place and time)

Sea Water

Sodium and chlorine ions predominates and others like calcium precipitate out

What are Allopratric Species?

Species that are separated by location or time of activity and are thereby shunned from potential interbreeding

What are Sympatric Species?

Species that occupy the same are and may interbreed and may produce hybrids ◆horse+donkey=mule

What is air pressure due to?

The weight of the air above (Swimming pool)

What does Allopratric Speciation mean?

They are geographically isolated (barriers)

What does Sympatric Speciation mean?

They are reproductively isolated May result from development of polyploidy

How does water temperatures in streams vary?

They vary with FLOW RATE and EXPOSURE TO SUN

What are two important regions in terms of climate

Traposphere Stratosphere

Are humans part of the study of the ecological world?

Yes, they are part of the natural world and actively modify it to be part of the system

Define Atmospheric Pressure

◆Air Pressure ■ the amount of force excerted over a given area of surface