Nutritional Niches

• What is an ecological niche?

  The role a species plays in its ecosystem
• What factors can determine a species' ecological niche?

  What it eats, its zone of tolerance, interactions
• What does the term "obligate" refer to in ecological terms?

  Having no choice in a specific condition
• What does "facultative" mean in ecological contexts?

  Having a choice in a specific condition
• What does "aerobic" mean?

  With oxygen
• What does "anaerobic" mean?

  Without oxygen
• What are obligate aerobes?

  Organisms that must have oxygen
• What are obligate anaerobes?

  Organisms that cannot be exposed to oxygen
• What are facultative anaerobes?

  Organisms that can thrive in both environments
• How do terms "oxic" and "anoxic" relate to "aerobic" and "anaerobic"?

  They are used interchangeably
• What are autotrophs?

  Organisms that produce their own food
• What are primary producers?

  Another name for photosynthetic organisms
• What process do photosynthetic organisms use?

  Turning light energy into chemical energy
• What do heterotrophs require for nutrition?

  They must eat their food
• What is holozoic nutrition?

  Eating whole pieces of food internally
• What are the steps of digestion in animals?

  Ingestion, digestion, absorption, egestion
• What does assimilation mean in nutrition?

  Becoming part of the cells and tissues
• What is egestion?

  Excreting waste that cannot be digested
• What are mixotrophs?

  Organisms that gather nutrients both ways
• What are obligate mixotrophs?

  Organisms that must use both methods
• What are facultative mixotrophs?

  Organisms that can choose their method
• What are saprotrophs?

  A type of decomposer that digests externally
• What is the key characteristic of saprotrophs?

  They digest matter externally
• How do saprotrophs break down large molecules?

  Using enzymes to digest externally
• What are the three domains of life?

  Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
• What are the nutritional modes of Archaea?

  Heterotrophic, phototrophic, chemotrophic
• What is the function of all living things regarding energy?

  Gathering energy for survival