1. INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY

2. INTRODUCTION Ecology: Biosphere
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms with each other and their environment or surroundings.
Biosphere
The biosphere is the portion of the planet where life exists, including, land, water, air, or atmosphere.

3. Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Bio = life
Biotic factors are things that are living or were once living
Examples: ?
A = not
Abiotic factors are things that were never alive

4. Characteristics of Life
Organism= any individual living thing

5. BIOLOGY =__________________ = ________________ So what makes Something
Alive?
The science of “LIFE”
Study of living things
Bacteria
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6. Characteristics of ALL LIVING THINGS
Made of _________
_____________
Based on a _____________________
_______ and ____________
______ & ___ ________ & _______
________ to their ____________
As a group, __________________
cells
Reproduce
universal genetic code
Grow develop
Obtain use materials energy
Respond environment
change over time

7. ALL LIVING THINGS ARE: Made of cells
The _____ is the
______________.
basic unit of life

8. ALL LIVING THINGS Reproduce
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
________________________
_____________the
___________________
from _____________
________________
Seen in animals and plants
combines
genetic material
2 parents
sperm + egg = baby
Family image from:

9. ALL LIVING THINGS Reproduce
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
_________________________
makes a new organism
using the
________________
from
_________________
Seen in bacteria, plants, and some animals
genetic material
ONLY 1 PARENT
Planaria animation:

10. All living things share a universal genetic code
Hereditary material = DNA
______________________
DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID
Segment of DNA
________________ with instructions for one _________
is called a ________.
PROTEIN
GENE
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11. ALL LIVING THINGS Grow & develop
Image by Riedell
SINGLE CELLED
_____________ organisms, like a bacterium, grow by ________________.
INCREASING in SIZE

12. ALL LIVING THINGS Grow & develop
Image by Riedell
Image from:
Multicellular organisms grow bigger by __________________
AND _____________________.
increasing cell size
increasing cell number

13. ALL LIVING THINGS Take in Materials & Use Energy
grow and develop
To________________,organisms _______ a constant supply of
____________________ &
____________
need
BUILDING MATERIALS
ENERGY!
This sheep uses the
MOLECULES and ENERGY
in the food it eats to
make “more sheep”

14. ALL LIVING THINGS Take in Materials & Use Energy
___________ use energy from sunlight or chemicals to ________________
AUTOTROPHS
make their own food
Image from:
GREEN PLANTS
Ex: _____________ use ____________to turn
_________ into _________
photosynthesis
glucose
sunlight

15. ALL LIVING THINGS Take in Materials & Use Energy
______________
get their energy by
___________________
HETEROTROPHS
consuming other organisms
Animals
Ex: ________ (including you) and _________________
most bacteria
 Image from:

16. ALL LIVING THINGS Respond to their environment
A signal to which an organism responds
= ___________________
STIMULUS
 Image from:

17. ALL LIVING THINGS Respond to their environment
 Image from:
A stimulus can be
_________________
EXTERNAL
Ex: When there is enough water
and ground is warm enough,
seed germinates. Roots respond to
gravity & grow downward. Leaves respond to sunlight & grow up.

18. ALL LIVING THINGS Respond to their environment
A stimulus can be
____________
INTERNAL
Ex: When the glucose level in your bloodstream becomes low, your body responds by making you feel hungry.

19. ALL LIVING THINGS as a group, change over time
EVOLUTION
= ______________
Allows _______ of ________ in a ___________
survival
species
changing world

20. CFU 1. List three things that make something “living”?
2. Where do plants get their energy from if they don’t eat?
3. A virus is made of a protein shell (not an actual cell) and a small piece of genetic material. It can evolve and change over time. It can’t reproduce by itself or with another virus. It needs a host cell. Is a virus alive? Explain.

21. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION
Ecologists study different levels of organization to understand relationships within the biosphere.
There are FIVE main levels of organization that ecologists study

22. LEVEL 1 – SPECIES
Species – A group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring.
Example: a porcupine, daisies, and red pandas are all different species

23. LEVEL 2 - POPULATION
Population – A group of individuals that belong to the same species, live in the same area, and can interbreed.
Example: These giraffes are members of a population

24. LEVEL 3 - COMMUNITY
Community – All the populations that live together in a specific area
Example: All of the living things that live in and around this stream live in the same community

25. LEVEL 4 - ECOSYSTEM
Ecosystem – The community PLUS the abiotic factors in an area.
Example: Grass, trees, insects, frogs, light, soil, sunlight, water

26. LEVEL 5 – BIOME
Biome – A large area that has a particular climate and particular species of plants and animals that live there
Example: Tropical rainforest (shown in dark green)

27. USE THE CHART TO SUMMARIZE YOUR INFORMATION
Level
Name
Example 1 2 3 4 5

28. CFU
For each slide, write on a half sheet of paper what stage/level of system we are looking at.
Be sure to look at the words AND pictures

29. rainforests

30. Koalas in Australia

31. penguins

32. Elephant and plants

33. People and their pets

34. Plants, animals, soil, water

35. Desert regions

36. Deer in st louis

37. Fish, whale, plants, water

38. Clouds, cactus, sand

39. Tulips

40. Cockroaches in a dumpster

41. Parrot and tree