Biology

Biology

1. Variety of life on Earth

   • Organisms are classified according to there features!
     • The Largest Group = KINGDOM
       • Large number of organisms with some similarities
     • The Smallest Group = SPECIE
       • 1 type of organism with lots of similarities
       • 2 organisms belong to the same specie if they are able to breed with each other and produce fertile offspring.
   • Adaptations
     • Adaptation are features that an organism has which enables them to survive in there habitat.
       • PHYSICAL- scales on a fish
       • BEHAVIOURAL- animals that live in large groups such as lions
     • The Saguro Cactus
       • The root system prevents other plants from growing around it as it's large and effective.
       • Has spines instead of leaves, this prevents animals from coming close and drinking water from inside
       • 90% water
       • Folded stem used for photosynthesis as it doesn't have leaves.
         • Has poison inside it's stem, to ward of animals.
       • Flowers that produce large amounts of pollen and nectar.
         • Without the nectar bats wouldn't be attracted to the flowers.
         • Without the pollen it wouldn't be able to reproduce.
     • Hadal Snailfish
       • Vibration receptors to help find food in the dark as there eyes are very small due to the lack of sunlight.
       • Gills which give them the ability to breath under water.
       • Streamlined to help them swim faster
       • They can survive very deep in the ocean.
       • Special mechanisms inside body that help to withstand pressure.
       • Survive on a diet of shrimp-
         • Suck shrimp into mouth then push out unwanted water and sand out of it's body through special channels in the side of it's head.

2. Food Web

   • Changes in a food web have a BIG impact on all creatures in the food web.
   • Food webs are generally stable unless the following happens..
     • The climate changes considerably and 1 specie is unable to adapt to the change.
       • Another specie in the food wens becomes extinct.
         • Another specie that is either a COMPETITOR a PREDATOR or a DISEASE causing organism is introduced into the ecosystem.
   • Food chains and energy transfer...
     • A food chain is really a diagram that shows how chemical energy is transferred from one organism to another.
       • it arrives in organisms called producers that are able to carry out the process of photosynthesis.
         • In this process they transfer light energy into chemical energy.
           • This process is only 5% efficient due to the following reasons...
             • Most light don't hit the photosynthesis part of the plants
               • Green in colour
               • Some light is reflected back from the surface of the leaf.
                 • some light is transfered straight through a leaf.
                   • Some of the light is the wrong WAVELENGTH
                     • Only the BLUE and RED colours in the light spectrum can be absorbed by the green pigment CHLOROPHYILL and used in photosynthesis.
       • How is chemical energy eventually lost from a food chain?
         • Chemical energy is transferred through one trophic level to the next.
           • Some of the energy is used for growth... offspring
           • If the organism dies before being eaten it DECOMPOSES.
           • RESPIRATION
           • FAECES... CARBON DIOXIDE
           • But not all of the energy at 1 trophic level will be transfered to the next higher trophic level.
           • The amount of available energy at each successive trophic level will decrease.

3. What can Cause Extinction?

   • Predators
     • Disease
       • Competion
         • For... Food, Water Space Light
     • A new specie moves in.
   • Changes in the environment
     • Temperature
       • Deforestation
         • Light intensity

4. Interdependence on Organisms.

   • Organisms depend on each other and the environment to survive.
     • However if different species live in the same habitat they will compete for food water and space to survive.

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