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25 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is a species? |
a group of organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring |
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How does the adaptation of living organisms to their environment increases the species’chance of survival? |
By making it more likely that individual a will survive to reproduce |
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What do living organisms depend on for their survival? |
The environment and other species |
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What is the problem between different species of animals or plants in the same habitat? |
There is competition between them for resources |
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What can cause a species to become extinct? |
a. the environmental conditions change beyond its ability to adapt b. a new species that is a competitor, predator or disease organism of that species is introduced c. another species (animal, plant or microorganism) in its food web becomes extinct |
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What are nearly all organisms ultimately dependant on? |
Energy from the sun |
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What do plants use the sun's energy for? |
They absorb small amounts of the sun's energy for photosynthesis |
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Where is the energy absorbed from the sun stored? |
In the chemicals which make up the plants cells |
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What 2 things happen when energy is transferred between organisms in an ecosystem? |
1.) when organisms are eaten 2.) when dead organisms and waste materials are fed on by decay organisms (decomposers and detritivores) |
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In what 4 ways is nitrogen recycled through the environment? |
a. nitrogen fixation to form nitrogen compounds including nitrates b. conversion of nitrogen compounds to protein in plants and animals c. transfer of nitrogen compounds through food chains d. excretion, death and decay of plants and animals resulting in release of nitrates into the soil e. uptake of nitrates by plants f. denitrification |
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How can environmental change can be measured? using non-living indicators, including nitrate levels, temperature and carbon dioxide levels |
Using non living indicators E.g. nitrate levels, temperature and CO2 levels |
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How can climate and environmental change can be measured?including phytoplankton, lichens and aquatic river organisms such as mayfly nymphs |
Using living indicators such as phytoplankton, lichens and aquatic river organisms like mayfly nymphs |
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How long ago did life on earth begin? |
Approximately 3500 million years ago |
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How did life on earth evolve? |
From very simple living things |
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Is there variation between individuals of the same species? |
Yes, some of these variations can be passed on to offspring |
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What is genetic variation the result of? |
Changes that occur in our genes |
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What can happen if there are mutated genes in sex cells? |
These mutations can be passed onto offspring and occasionally cause new characteristics |
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What can the natural process of selection in terms of effects of genetic variation and competition of survival and reproduction lead to? |
An increase in the number of individuals displaying beneficial characteristics in later generations |
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How can new species be produced through the process of evolution? |
With the combined effect of mutations, environmental changes, natural selection and isolation |
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What is evidence for evolution provided by? |
The fossil record From analysis of similarities and differences in the DNA of an organism |
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How are organisms classified into groups? |
According to their similarities and differences in characteristics including: a. physical features (e.g. flowers in flowering plants and the skeleton in vertebrates) b. DNA |
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What can the classification of living and fossil organisms help to do? |
Make sense of the enormous diversity of organisms on earth Show the evolutionary relationships between organisms |
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What does biodiversity refer to? |
Variety of life on Earth including: a. the number of different species b. the range of different types of organisms, e.g. plants, animals and microorganisms c. the genetic variation within species |
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What is one of the keys to sustainability? |
Maintaining biodiversity to ensure the conservation of different species |
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What does sustainability mean? |
Sustainability means meeting the needs of people today without damaging the Earth for future generations |
