Unit 7 (Ecology) Concept 1: Intro to ecology

Community

• Multiple populations of different species living together

• A single species living in isolation

• A group of individuals of the same species

• A collection of abiotic factors in an environment

Taxonomy

• Field of biology that classifies organisms, organizing them based on similar characteristics

• Study of animal behavior and interactions

• Branch of biology that focuses on the structure of organisms

• Science of classifying and naming living organisms

Ecosystem

• Community plus all of the abiotic factors in the environment

• A group of organisms of the same species living in a specific area

• The physical environment where organisms live

• The interactions between different species in a community

Population

• Multiple organisms of the same species living together

• All living organisms in a particular area

• Different species interacting in an ecosystem

• Organisms of different species living together

Ecology

• The study of relationships between two organisms and between an organism and its environment

• The study of how organisms adapt to their environment

• The study of the physical and chemical properties of the Earth

• The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time

Metabolism

• All of the chemical reactions of each cell in an organism that provide energy for life’s processes and create key molecules

• The process by which organisms convert sunlight into energy

• The breakdown of food into smaller molecules for absorption

• The synthesis of proteins from amino acids

Biodiversity

• The variety of organisms considered at all levels, from populations to ecosystem

• The total number of species in a specific area

• The genetic variation within a single species

• The interactions between different species in an ecosystem

Biosphere

• The zone of life on Earth, encompassing all of Earth’s ecosystems

• The layer of gases surrounding the planet

• The region of the Earth where weather occurs

• The solid outer part of the Earth, including the crust and upper mantle

Cladogram

• Diagram that shows relatedness of organisms.

• A type of food web diagram.

• A chart showing the life cycle of a plant.

• A map of geographical distribution of species.

Organism

• Individual member of a species or population

• A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

• The physical environment where an organism lives

• A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment