1. ENVIRONMENTS
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2. SIZES OF ENVIRONMENTS SMALLEST ORGANISM MICRO-HABITAT HABITAT LARGEST
BIOME
BIOGRAPHICAL REGION
BIOSPHERE

3. ECOSYSTEMS BIOTIC – living ABIOTIC – (A)non-living Examples:
Abiotic factors that influence tolerance (worksheet)
BIOTIC
ABIOTIC

4. COMPARISONS FACTORS AQUATIC HABITAT TERRESTRIAL HABITAT
Water availability
Dissolved minerals
Temperature
Light
Buoyancy/Density
Viscosity (resistence to movement)
Gas availability
Pressure

5. COMPARISONS FACTORS AQUATIC HABITAT TERRESTRIAL HABITAT
Water availability
Readily available
Varies in availability
Species have special features to transport it
Dissolved minerals
Ions in water
Fresh water – low solute
Salt water – high solute
Ions in soil
Variable in amounts
Temperature
Less variation
Greater variation
Light
Limited – depends on clarity
Buoyancy/Density
More dense = more support
Less dense = less support
Viscosity (resistence to movement)
Very viscose
Not very viscose
Gas availability
O2 not readily available
CO2 readily available
O2 readily available
CO2 not readily available
Pressure
Increases with depth
Descreases with altitude

6. ECOLOGICAL NICHE
An ecological niche describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors . The way of life of a species.
The optimum range refers to the abiotic factors at which the organisms functions best.
Physiological stress refers to outside the preferred niche/optimum range.
Looking at niches (worksheet)

7. PLANTS & TROPISMS
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8. TROPISMS
Tropism is the directional growth response of a plant to an environmental stimulus.
Positive tropism – growing toward a stimulus
Negative tropism – growing away from a stimulus
Complete the table:
Tropism
Stimulus
Response
Phototropism
Geotropism
Hydrotropism
Thigmotropism
Chemotropism

9. TROPISMS Tropisms (worksheet) Leaves can tell a story (worksheet)
Stimulus
Response
Phototropism
Light
Positive: shoots grow towards the light
Negative: roots (if responsive) grow away
Geotropism
Gravity
Positive: roots grow downwards
Negative: shoots grow upwards
Hydrotropism
Water
Roots grow towards water
Thigmotropism
Touch, contact
Stems and tendrils grow round or against points of contact with solid objects (eg other plants)
Chemotropism
Chemicals
Positive: pollen tubes of some plants are attracted to the stigma of same species, enabling fertilisation. Ovary releases chemicals to produce response.
Tropisms (worksheet)
Leaves can tell a story (worksheet)

10. PLANTS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS
Category
Description
Characteristics
Hydrophytes
Aquatic plants: floating or living in water
Have little or no cuticle on stems and leaves. Stomata (specialised pores for gas exchange) are found on the upper surface of the leaves. Small amount of transport tissue (xylem).
Xerophytes
Dry conditions
Fleshy, succulent plants OR hard-leaved sclerophylls. Thick waxy cuticle, hair covering leaves, few stomata, reduced leaf surface area, leaf orientation away from sun.
Halophytes
Salt tolerant
Many are succulents. Usually have high osmotic pressure in cytoplasm, control salt levels in shoots. If excess salt enters via the leaves they cannot control osmotic concentration so stomata close reducing transpiration and CO2 uptake.
Mesophytes
Moist conditions
Perennials – survive underground as bulbs, tubers. Annuals survive with dormant seeds. Stomata control water loss.
Epiphytes
Aerial: growing on branches or trunks.
Not parasitic.

11. Which is which?

12. Know the definitions of these:
Epicormic bud
Lignotubers
Phytohormones
Gibberellins
Cytokinins
Abscisic acid
Ethylene
Auxins
Life of Plants (video)
Phytochromes
Photoperiodism
Dormancy
Taxis
Nastic
Nutation

13. ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS

14. ADAPTATIONS
Adaptations an organism has enables it to compete successfully to obtain its requirements, often in changing conditions.
These can be:
Structural
Physiological
Behavioural
Reproductive
Adaptations (worksheet)

15. STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS

16. Life of Mammals (video)

17. PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS
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18. MAINTAINING BALANCE
Organisms (that are subject to extreme conditions) have particular strategies and mechanisms that ensure relatively stable internal conditions – conditions that are necessary for biochemical process in cells to be maintained – despite what is happening in the external and internal environments.
Internal environment = the fluid surrounding living cells within a multi-cellular organism.
HOMEOSTASIS is the maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment, within narrow limits

19. Blood sugar (Glucose concentration in the blood) Blood pH
EXAMPLES:
Blood sugar (Glucose concentration in the blood)
approximately 0.1%
Blood pH
approximately 7.4
Blood pressure
approximately 120 / 80
Body temperature
approximately 37°C (98.6°F)

20. Factors that can interfere with homeostasis include:
Homeostasis involves most/all organs and systems of the body but especially
Nervous system
Hormone (endocrine) systems.
Factors that can interfere with homeostasis include:
Extremes in the external environment
Disease
Trauma
Inherited disorders
High levels of toxic substances

21. Cancels or counteracts the original stimulus
FEEDBACK MECHANISMS: Minor fluctuations occur, but signals about these disturbances are fed to a control centre which interprets what is going on.
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK: Results in returning the changed internal conditions back to its optimal level.
Stimulus - Response Model:
Stimulus
(input)
Response
(output)
RECEPTOR
EFFECTOR
COORDINATION CENTER
Cancels or counteracts the original stimulus

22. NERVOUS SYSTEM & ENDOCRINE SYSTEM PAMPHLET

23. PART ONE NERVES & HORMONES TOGETHER...

24. TEMPERATURE REGULATION

25. TEMPERATURE REGULATION
Ectothermic: organisms whose body temperature is governed by an _________ heat source.
Endothermic: organisms whose body heat is generated from _________ metabolic sources.

26. Poikilothermic: Refers to an organism having a body temperature that can vary greatly with changes in the external environment.
Homeothermic: Refers to an organism that is able to maintain an internal body temperature within narrow limits.
Organisms gain heat from their environment but they also lose heat to the environment. There are several mechanisms involved in the gain or loss of heat.
Mechanism
Description (page 254)
Radiation
Conduction
Convection
Evaporation

27. Animals have structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations, which equip them with heat gain and loss.
Types of Adaptations
Examples
Description
Structural
Fur, feathers, blubber
Large ears
Behavioural
Retreating to a burrow, moving in the shade
Huddling with others, curling up
Physiological
Shivering, increase metabolism
Constriction of blood vessels to skin
Piloerection
Dilation of blood vessels to skin
Sweating

28. PART TWO NERVES & HORMONES TOGETHER...
OSMOREGULATION
PROVIDE A DEFINITION
PROVIDE 4 DIFFERENT EXAMPLES

29. BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATIONS
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30. The scientific study of the behaviour of animals is called ethology.
The behaviour of an animal describes what it does, how it acts or reacts to a particular situation.
Question:
HOW does an animal know how to behave, act or react in a particular situation?

31. INNATE BEHAVIOUR
Or instinct, can be thought of as internal “programming” which all animals have depending on the type of animal they are.
This type of behaviour does not have to be learnt because it is inborn (genetically controlled).
Include:
Rhythmic
Group Organisation
Communication
Reproductive
Territorial Behaviour
Aggressive Behaviour

32. Rhythmic Repeating behaviours at regular intervals Type Definition
Examples
Survival Value
Circadian rhythms:
Diurnal
Nocturnal
Crepuscular
Migration
Feeding

33. Group Organisation
Forming groups within animal species increases their chance of survival.
Type
Explanation
Examples
Benefit to the group
Successful cooperation
Working together
Wanting some alone time

34. Communication
Will be through one of three kinds: acoustic, chemical or visual.
Species
Means/Method
Survival Value
Termite
Lyrebird
Whales
Lemurs
Baboon

35. Reproductive, Territorial & Aggressive
Enables individuals to locate a member of their own species, mate, reproduce and care for their young.
Courtship rituals and mating calls increase chances of finding a mate. Can included visual communication (eg. brightly coloured plumage in birds)
Grooming establishes bonds. Helps with hygiene, and the parasites offer a good source of protein when eaten.
Territorial:
Marking and defending their home range allows animal to protect its resources including food, shelter and potential mates.
Aggressive:
Often displayed to establish hierarchy within a group.

36. LEARNED BEHAVIOUR
Learning begins as soon as the animal is exposed to the outside world.
Animals change their behaviour as a result of experiences that require them to do so.
As the animal grows, it constantly adapts and adjusts it’s behaviour to respond to it’s environment.

37. Behaviour
Explanation
Examples
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Habituation
Insight
Imprinting
Observational
Trial and error

38. REPRODUCTIVE ADAPTATIONS
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39. Write definitions and notes on the following reproductive adaptations:
Courtship:
Parenting behaviour:
Development and life cycles:
Insects
Monotremes
Marsupials
Placentals