INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY

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.

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

Characteristics of Life Organism= any individual living thing

BIOLOGY =__________________ = ________________ So what makes Something Alive? The science of “LIFE” Study of living things Bacteria Image from: http://analyzer.depaul.edu/astrobiology/kingdoms.jpg

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

ALL LIVING THINGS ARE: Made of cells The _____ is the ______________. basic unit of life http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/study_guides_bi.htm

ALL LIVING THINGS Reproduce SEXUAL REPRODUCTION ________________________ _____________the ___________________ from _____________ ________________ Seen in animals and plants combines genetic material 2 parents sperm + egg = baby Family image from: http://babyhearing.org/Parenet2Parent/index.asp

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: http://www.t3.rim.or.jp/~hylas/planaria/title.htm

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 Image from: http://sbchem.sunysb.edu/msl/dna.gif

ALL LIVING THINGS Grow & develop Image by Riedell SINGLE CELLED _____________ organisms, like a bacterium, grow by ________________. INCREASING in SIZE

ALL LIVING THINGS Grow & develop Image by Riedell Image from: http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/life/images/grow.JPG Multicellular organisms grow bigger by __________________ AND _____________________. increasing cell size increasing cell number

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” http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/ansc442/Semprojs/2003/spiderlamb/eatsheep.gif

ALL LIVING THINGS Take in Materials & Use Energy ___________ use energy from sunlight or chemicals to ________________ AUTOTROPHS make their own food Image from: http://vilenski.org/science/safari/cellstructure/chloroplasts.html GREEN PLANTS Ex: _____________ use ____________to turn _________ into _________ photosynthesis glucose sunlight http://www.inclusive.co.uk/downloads/images/pics2/tree.gif

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: http://www.epa.gov/region5/superfund/ecology/images/fishcartoon.gif

ALL LIVING THINGS Respond to their environment A signal to which an organism responds = ___________________ STIMULUS  Image from: http://www.travel-net.com/~andrews/images/animations/traffic.gif

ALL LIVING THINGS Respond to their environment  Image from: http://www.ccs.k12.in.us/chsBS/kons/kons/images/stimresp.jpg 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. http://www.nofretete-page.de/gemischtNeu/TN_plant_grow_w.JPG

ALL LIVING THINGS Respond to their environment   http://www.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookCHEM2.html A stimulus can be ____________ INTERNAL Ex: When the glucose level in your bloodstream becomes low, your body responds by making you feel hungry. http://www.israellycool.com/eat%20guy%20AFP.jpg

ALL LIVING THINGS as a group, change over time EVOLUTION = ______________ Allows _______ of ________ in a ___________ survival species changing world http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=63386&rendTypeId=4

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

rainforests

Koalas in Australia

penguins

Elephant and plants

People and their pets

Plants, animals, soil, water

Desert regions

Deer in st louis

Fish, whale, plants, water

Clouds, cactus, sand

Tulips

Cockroaches in a dumpster

Parrot and tree