1. Ecology Front of card Back of card Study of living and non-living things and their relationships.

2. Biotic Front of card Back of card living things Plants & animals

3. Abiotic Front of card Back of card Non-living things Sunlight, soil, rocks, temp.

4. Limiting Factors Front of card Back of card Any resource or condition that lowers the success of an organism. Competition, predators, space, temp.

5. Levels in the Biosphere Front of card Back of card Orange People Can’t Ever Be Blue Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere

6. Organism Front of card Back of card A living thing

7. Population Front of card Back of card A group of organisms of the same species, place & time.

8. Community Front of card Back of card 2 or more populations in an area.

9. Ecosystem Front of card Back of card Community and biotic and abiotic factors.

10. Biome Front of card Back of card Large ecosystem based on climate Ex. rainforest, tundra, grassland

11. Biosphere Front of card Back of card Part of earth that can sustain life.

12. Taxonomy Front of card Back of card The study of the classification of living things.

13. Taxon (hierarchical classification) Front of card Back of card Did King Philip Come Over For Grape Soda? Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species (general  specific)

14. 3 Domains Front of card Back of card Archaea – ancient bacteria Eubacteria – true bacteria Eukarya - eukaryotes

15. 6 Kingdoms Front of card Back of card Archaea Eubacteria Protista Fungi Animalia Plantae

16. Species Front of card Back of card A group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.

17. Binomial Nomenclature Front of card Back of card Each organism has a 2 part scientific name: Genus and species.

18. Dichotomous Key Front of card Back of card A device that can be used to easily identify an unknown organism.

19. Biogeochemical cycle Front of card Back of card Cycle of transferring nutrients from the environment to an organism and back.

20. Open Ecosystem Front of card Back of card Energy and matter can flow in & out.

21. 3 processes in Water cycle Front of card Back of card Cellular respiration – gives off water Transpiration – loss of water through leaves. Photosynthesis – uses water

22. Precipitation Front of card Back of card Rain, snow, sleet or hail

23. Standing water Front of card Back of card Holds water on land Lakes & swamps.

24. Ground Water Front of card Back of card Holds water underground

25. Evaporation Front of card Back of card Water changes from liquid to gas.

26. Condensation Front of card Back of card Water changes from gas to liquid. CLOUDS

27. Run-off Front of card Back of card Returns water to oceans, lakes, streams.

28. Acid Rain Front of card Back of card Precipitation with a low pH. Caused by sulfur dioxide (g) & nitrous oxides (g)

29. Sulfur dioxide Front of card Back of card From industries. Mixes with water in air to make sulfuric acid.

30. Nitrous Oxides Front of card Back of card From fertilizers and car exhaust. Mix with water to form nitric acid.

31. Effects of Acid Rain Front of card Back of card Kill crops, forests, fish, soil bacteria. Corrodes metals.

32. Solutions for Acid Rain Front of card Back of card Scrubbers in smoke stacks, add lime(chemical) to lakes to  pH. Less car emissions. Walk, ride bike, take bus…

33. Carbon in Living Things Front of card Back of card Trapped and stored by photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. Released by respiration, decomposition, and combustion.

34. Carbon in non-living things Front of card Back of card Most carbon is found in oceans and rocks, shells and corals. Only 0.03% of atmosphere is CO 2

35. Respiration Front of card Back of card Uses O 2 and releases CO 2

36. Combustion Front of card Back of card Uses O 2 and releases CO 2

37. Decomposition Front of card Back of card Uses O 2 and releases CO 2

38. Photosynthesis Front of card Back of card Uses CO 2 and releases O 2

39. Chemosynthesis Front of card Back of card Uses CO 2 to make C 6 H 12 O 6 Happens near deep sea vents on bottom of ocean

40. Greenhouse Effect Front of card Back of card CO 2 in atmosphere traps heat in. Due to burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

41. Solutions to Greenhouse Effect Front of card Back of card Decrease burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

42. Ozone holes Front of card Back of card Ozone (O 3 ) is broken down by CFCs causing holes in the layer. Ozone protects earth from UV radiation.

43. Effects of Ozone holes Front of card Back of card Skin cancer, eye problems and aging of skin.

44. What nitrogen is used for. Front of card Back of card 1. Proteins (amino acids) 2. Cells 3. Nucleic acids – DNA & RNA

45. 3 parts of Nitrogen cycle Front of card Back of card 1. Nitrogen fixation (bacteria and lightening convert N 2(g) to NO 3- ) 2. Nitrification (cycle) 3. Denitrification (NO 3- converted to N 2(g) by anaerobic bacteria)

46. Nitrogen fixation Front of card Back of card Lightening and bacteria convert N 2(g) into nitrates. (NO 3 - ) Rhizobium bacteria on the roots of legumes convert nitrogen gas to usable form for plants.

47. Nitrification Front of card Back of card Cycle. Plants absorb nitrates and make proteins. Animals eat plants. Plants and animals die. Bacteria break them down into ammonium, then nitrites, then nitrates.

48. Denitrification Front of card Back of card Anaerobic bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas. Live in tightly packed soil with no oxygen.

49. Uses of phosphorus Front of card Back of card Cell membranes ATP DNA, RNA Bones

50. Phosphorus Cycle Front of card Back of card Long term – rocks, erosion, ocean, rocks. Short term – plants absorb phosphates – animals eat plants, they die, decompose…

51. Fertilizers Front of card Back of card Nitrogen – green plants Phosphorus – flowers Potassium - health

52. Overuse of Fertilizers Front of card Back of card Too many nitrates become nitric acid, so lower the soil pH. Cause death of plants.

53. Eutrophication Front of card Back of card Death of a lake. Too many phosphates and nitrogen from sewage, detergents and fertilizers cause algal bloom in lakes. Decomposers decrease O 2, then death of organisms.

54. Autotroph Front of card Back of card Self feeders. Producers. Either photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Algae, bacteria, plants

55. Heterotroph Front of card Back of card Consumer. Eats others. Primary consumers eat plants. Secondary consumers eat animals that eat plants.

56. Habitat Front of card Back of card Where an organism lives.

57. Niche Front of card Back of card An organism’s job. 2 organisms can live in the same habitat if they have different niches. Then they are not in direct competition with one another.

58. 3 Niches Front of card Back of card Producer- plant Consumer- animal Decomposer - bacteria

59. Herbivore Front of card Back of card Eats plants

60. Carnivore Front of card Back of card Eats animals

61. Omnivore Front of card Back of card Eats plants and animals

62. Scavenger Front of card Back of card Eats dead animals. Ex. vulture, insects, possum

63. Food Chain Front of card Back of card Feeding sequence in an ecosystem.

64. Trophic levels Front of card Back of card How far an organism is away from the sun. Producers – 1 st level Primary consumer – 2 nd Secondary consumer – 3 rd Tertiary consumer – 4 th level Quaternary consumer – 5 th

65. Food Web Front of card Back of card A series of interlocking feeding relationships.

66. 1 st law of Thermodynamics Front of card Back of card Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can be changed from one form to another.

67. 2 nd law of Thermodynamics Front of card Back of card Heat is lost at each energy conversion. It is waste energy. (explains ecological pyramids)

68. Pyramid of Numbers Front of card Back of card Counting the total # of organisms in an area. Least accurate.

69. Pyramid of Biomass Front of card Back of card Dry mass of organisms. Takes into account how healthy (big) they are. More accurate.

70. Pyramid of Energy Front of card Back of card Level of thermal energy at each trophic level. Most accurate.

71. Summer vs. Winter Pyramids Front of card Back of card Less energy available in winter. SummerWinter

72. Human interference in the ecosystem Front of card Back of card Hunting/fishing – species extinction Monoculture – growing one species of plant may cause loss of diversity/cures. Pesticides – kills pests, but also accumulate in consumers (biomagnification)

73. Biological amplification Front of card Back of card Same as biomagnification. Pesticides and other toxins build up in the fatty tissues at the top of the food chain.

74. Evolution Front of card Back of card Populations change over a series of generations due to adaptations.

75. Adaptation Front of card Back of card An inherited trait that improves the chances of survival and reproduction of an organism. 3 types: Behavioral Structural Physiological

76. Behavioral Adaptation Front of card Back of card The way an animal acts. Migration, live in groups, hibernation, nocturnal, …

77. Structural Adaptation Front of card Back of card Physical characteristics. Ears, teeth, thick skin, fur/feathers, beaks, trunk …

78. Physiological Adaptation Front of card Back of card Metabolism, hormones, toxins, venom, enzymes…

79. Fossil Front of card Back of card The remains or impressions of organisms from the past. ***Direct evidence for evolution.

80. How fossils are formed Front of card Back of card 1.Bones of organisms resist the action of weathering. 2.Soft tissues are preserved in a deep freeze. 3.Imprints that plants or animals made in soft mud 4.Insects embedded in amber.

81. Embryology Front of card Back of card Indirect evidence for evolution. The study of organisms in their early stages of development. If there are similarities, may have a common ancestor.

82. Homologous Structures Front of card Back of card Similar origin but different uses. Homologous structures Divergent evolution Vestigial organs Ex. Flipper of dolphin and forelimb of dog.

83. Divergent Evolution Front of card Back of card Same ancestor, but now live in different environments. Adapt to new environ. by changing function of structure.

84. Vestigial organs Front of card Back of card Organs that no longer serve a function. Had a function in ancestor. Ex. Appendix.

85. Analogous Stucture Front of card Back of card Similar structures, but different ancestor. Species live in similar environments. Result of convergent evolution. Ex. Bird’s and butterfly’s wings.

86. Convergent Evolution Front of card Back of card Development of similar forms from unrelated species due to adaptations to similar environments. Torpedo shape of dolphins and sharks.

87. Biochemical Evidence Front of card Back of card The types of molecules that make up an organism suggest a common ancestor. Ex. DNA

88. Physiological Evidence Front of card Back of card The function of parts of an organism suggest a common ancestor. Ex. Digestion, circulation, excretion…

89. Lamarck Front of card Back of card Organisms had a desire to change, so could produce new parts to adapt to the environment and these “acquired” traits could be inherited. Use it or lose it.

90. Darwin Front of card Back of card Different species evolved from a single ancestral species. Evolution is due to natural selection. “Inherited” traits can be passed on.

91. Darwin’s Theory (5 parts) Front of card Back of card 1. Overproduction – the # of offspring produced is greater than the # that can survive. 2. Competition – 3. Natural Selection – the most fit individuals will survive 4. Variation - due to mutations and sexual reproduction 5. Speciation – a new species is formed.

92. Parasitism Front of card Back of card Parasites use a host for food or shelter. One benefits, the other loses.

93. Commensalism Front of card Back of card Symbiotic relationship where one member benefits and the other is not affected. Ex. Buffalo and bird (on back) Clown fish and sea anenome

94. Mutualism Front of card Back of card Symbiotic relationship where both members benefit. Bees and flowers Crocs and birds E.coli in our large intestine.