Biology : 3.3.3 Ecology

• Radiation from the Sun is the source of energy for most communities of living organisms. Plants and algae transfer about 1% of the incident energy from light for photosynthesis. This energy is stored in the substances that make up the cells of the plants.
• Why does only approximately 10% of the biomass from each trophic level gets passed on to the level above it? - Some materials and energy are always lost in the organisms' waste materials - Respiration supplies all the energy needed for living processes, including movement, Much of this energy is eventually transferred to the surroundings
• Why does the bar get smaller as you go up the trophic level? - Total mass of organism is decreasing - Reason : everytime an organism is consumed by another and moved up a trophic level = most of the biomass and energy is either lost or used. only 10% actually gets transferred up the next level
• What is the equation to calculate the effciency of biomass transfer (the % of biomass passed on) (biomass transferred to the next level/ biomass that was avaliable at the previous level) x 100
• How can the effciency of food production be improved? Reducing the number of stages in a food chain
• What does each bar in a trophic level represent? Total mass of the organisms and producers
• Define biomass Mass of material in living organisms
• What do plants compete with eachother for? - Light - Space - Water - Minerals from soil
• What do animals compete with eachother for? - Food - Mates - Territory
• What are extremophiles? - Organisms that live in environments that are very extreme, containing high levels of salt, high temps, or high pressures
• Define structural adaptation. Physical features that help an organism to survive e.g giraffe's long neck
• Define behavioural adaptation The responses of an organism that helps them to survive e.g migration
• Define functional adaptations The bodily processes of an organism that helps them to survive e.g bears produce their metabolism during hibernation to conserve energy
• What are the factors which can affect a community? - Abiotic - Biotic
• Define abiotic A non-living condition that affects a community
• Define biotic a living component that affects a community
• Where do parasites live? Lives inside its host's body
• Where do fleas live? Lives amongst the hair of mammals
• What is a parasite? An organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense
• What is a host? Has an organism living inside or on itself
• What does a parasite do? Feeds off an organism whilst organism is alive
• Where do tapeworms live? Live inside the intestines of mammals
• Where do malaria-parasite live? Lives inside of their host's body // Single-celled organisms that cause malaria in humans
• How do fleas harm the host? Feed on the host's blood
• How does tapeworm harm its host? - Absorbs digested products of digestion from their hosts // Absorbs nutrients - Block the intestine
• How does a malaria parasite harms its host? - Broods of parasites grown inside RBC and destroy them , releasing daughter parasites that continue cycle by invasion
• What are the types of parasites? - Flea - Tapeworm - Malaria parasite
• How are parasites adapted ? - They are adapted so they recieve maximum benefit from the host but do not kill them
• What are the adaptations of a tapeworm? - Strong suckers and hooks for attachment to the lining of intestine - Thin & flattened & huge S.A for absorption of nutrients
• What are the adaptations of a flea? - Long legs for jumping long distances onto hosts - Mouthparts ; sharp to pierce host's skin - Hard body so its not damaged by sctraches
• What are the adaptations of a malaria parasite? - Antigen variation changes - High reproductive rates
• What are ectoparasites? Organisms that live on the skin of a host, from which they derive their sustenance
• What are producers? Organisms that can make their own food from sun energy // plamts which can photosynthesis and supply energy for an ecosystem
• What are primary consumers? Organisms that eat plants as part of their diet or as their entire diet
• What are secondary consumers? Animals that eat primary consumers
• What are tertiary consumers? An animal that obtains its nutrition by eating other animals
• What do you need for an ecosystem - Producers - Consumers - Decomposers - A physical environment
• Define an ecosystem - The interaction between organisms and their physical environment
• "Define ""Co-exist""" Organisms living in the same habitat at the same time
• "Define ""Community""" The collection of the different types of organisms living together in an ecosystem