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96 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Biomes
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areas sharing similar climate, topographic, and soil conditions and the same type of biological community
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temperature and precipitation
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the two most important determinants in biome distribution.
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tropical rainforest
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-same temp all year round
-rain (no seasons) |
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tropical seasonal forest
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-warm year around
-dry and rainy season |
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tropical savanna
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-rainy/dry season
-constant warm temp -grasslands -fires frequent dry season -many migratory species |
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deserts
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-very very dry
-plants exhibit water conservation characteristics |
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temperate grasslands (prairies)
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-communities of grasses and seasonal flowering plants
-few trees due to inadequate rainfall -large temp. fluctuations -thick organic soils |
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Chaparral (mediterranean or temperate shrub-land)
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-warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters
-evergreen shrubs, scrub oaks, pines -fires are a major factor in plant succession |
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
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-supports lush summer plant growth when water is plentiful (broad leaf)
-rain-summer -dry-winter - european settlers practically destroyed it |
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temperate coniferous forest
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-often occurs where moisture is limited
-plants reduce h2o loss with thin needle-like leaves -can survive harsh winters and droughts |
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temperate rainforest
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-wet, foggy forests of the pacific coast
-up to 100 inches of rain -mild temperatures -redwood forests |
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boreal forest
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-northern coniferous forest
-usually covered in snow |
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tundra
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-treeless
-covered in snow 10 or 11 months out of the year |
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(arctic tundra)
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exhibits low productivity but supports migratory birds b/c of no prey
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(alpine tundra)
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occurs on or near mountain tops
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Biotic potential
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unrestrained biological reproduction.
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Reality- constraints
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Scarcity of resources
Competition Predation Disease |
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Exponential Growth
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growth at a constant rate of increase per unit time (geometric)
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The change in the number of individuals (dN) per change in time (dt) equals the rate of growth (r) times the number of individuals in the population (N). r is often called the intrinsic capacity for increase.
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dN/dt = rN
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J curve
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dN/dt = rN (graphed)
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Carrying capacity
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limit of sustainability that an environment has in relation to the size of a species population
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Overshoot
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population exceeds the carrying capacity of the environment and death rates rise as resources become scarce
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Population crash
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growth becomes negative and the population decreases suddenly
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Boom and bust
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population undergoes repeated cycles of overshooting followed by crashing
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Logistic Growth
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growth rates regulated by internal and external factors
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S curve when the equation is graphed
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dN/dt = r N (1 - N/K)
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External factors
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habitat quality, food availability and interaction with other organisms.
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Internal factors
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stress due to overcrowding, maturity, body size, and hormonal status.
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density-dependent
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as population size increases the effect intensifies.
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Density independent effects
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(drought, an early frost, flooding, landslides, etc.) also may decrease population size.
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r selected species
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high reproductive rate that offsets high mortality of offspring with little or no parental care.
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K selected species
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few offspring but more parental care.
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Natality
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production of new individuals
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Fecundity
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physical ability to reproduce
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Fertility
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actual number of offspring produced
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Immigration
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organisms introduced into new ecosystems
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Mortality
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death rate
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Survivorship
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percentage of cohort surviving to a certain age
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Life expectancy
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probable number of years of survival for an individual of a given age
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Life span
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longest period of life reached by a given type of organism
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Four curves:
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A. Full physiological life span if organism survives childhood
B. Probability of death unrelated to age |
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Intrinsic factors
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operate within or between individual organisms in the same species
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Extrinsic factors
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imposed from outside the population
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Biotic factors
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Caused by living organisms. Tend to be density dependent.
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Abiotic factors
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Caused by non-living environmental components.
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Intraspecific Interactions
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competition for resources by individuals within a population
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Stress-related diseases
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occur in some species when conditions become overcrowded.
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Genetic Drift
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change in gene frequency due to a random event
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Founder Effect
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few individuals start a new population.
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Demographic bottleneck
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just a few members of a species survive a catastrophic event such as a natural disaster
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Minimum Viable Population
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minimum population size required for long-term survival of a species.
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1. agricultural developments
2. better sources of power 3. better hygiene |
human population grew rapidly after 1600 due to
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I = PAT
(footprint) |
I = environmental Impact
P = Populations size A = affluence T = technology |
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demography
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statistics about a population
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Demographic transition
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pattern of falling death rates and birth rates due to improve living conditions accompanying economic development
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1. Pre-modern society
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poor conditions keep death rates high; birth rates are correspondingly high (stage 1)
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2. Economic Development
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brings better standard of living thus death rates fall and birth rates stay constant or even rise (stage 2)
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3. Mature Industrial economy
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birth rates begin to fall as people see that most children survive (stage 3)
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4. Developed countries
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transition is complete and both death and birth rates are low and populations is at equilibrium (stage 4)
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Health
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a state of complete physical, mental and social well being
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disease
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an abnormal change in the body's condition that impairs physical or psychological function
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morbidity
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illness
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mortality
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death
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pathogens
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disease causing organisms
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emergent disease
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a brand new disease or one that has been absent for at least 20 years
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pesticide resistance
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the protozoan parasite that causes malaria is now resistant to treatment and the mosquitoes that transmit it have developed resistance to many insecticides
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antibiotic resistance
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antibiotics are unnecessary or the wrong drug; people don't finish the full course, creating a resistant strain of bacteria
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toxicology
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branch of medicine that studies poisons and their effects on living systems
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toxic
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poisonous
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hazardous
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dangerous
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allergens
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substances that activate the immune system
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antigens
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substances that are recognized as foreign by white blood cells and stimulate the production of specific antibodies
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sick building syndrome
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sick because of allergen
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immune system depressants
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pollutants that depress the immune system
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endocrine disrupters
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change the levels of hormones
ex: environmental estrogen |
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neurotoxins
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metabolic poisons that specifically attack nerve cells
ex: heavy metals such as lead and mercury |
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mutagens
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substances that change your genes; alters genetic material
ex: radiation |
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teratogens
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chemicals that cause harm to a fetus
ex: alcohol |
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carcinogens
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substances that cause cancer
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water soluble
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compounds move rapidly through the environment and have access to cells
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fat soluble
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compounds penetrate the tissue and stay
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bioaccumulation
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selective absorption and storage of toxins
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biomagnification
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toxic burden of a large number of organisms at a lower trophic level is accumulated and concentrated by a predator at a higher trophic level
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persistence
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how fast chemicals/toxins break down in the environment
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Antagonistic reaction
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1 chemical keeps another from working
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additive reaction
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effects of each chemical are added to one another
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synergistic reaction
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one substance exacerbates the effect of the other
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LD50 (Lethal Dosage 50)
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dose at which 50% of the animal test population dies.
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Chronically undernourished
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starving
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famine
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large scale food shortages, massive starvations, social disruptions and economic chaos.
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malnourishment
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nutritional imbalance caused by lack of specific dietary components or an inability to absorb or utilize essential nutrients
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Anemia
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iron deficiency
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Kwashiorkor
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mainly with children whose diets lack high quality protein
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marasmus
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"to waste away" - diet low in protein and calories
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CAFOs
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Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (or feed lots)
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GMOs
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Genetically Modified Organisms - removes DNA from one organism and splices it into the chromosomes of another
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