Ecosystems and Microbiology Unit Study Guide 4.L.1 Understand the effects of environmental changes, adaptations and behaviors that enable animals (including humans) to survive in changing habitats. 4.L.1.1 Give examples of changes in an organism s environment that are beneficial to it and some that are harmful. 4.L.1.2 Explain how animals meet their needs by using behaviors in response to information received from the environment. 4.L.1.3 Explain how humans can adapt their behavior to live in changing habitats (e.g., recycling wastes, establishing rain gardens, planting trees and shrubs to prevent flooding and erosion). 4.L.1.4 Explain how differences among animals of the same population sometimes give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing in changing habitats. Environment all that surrounds us Ecology the scientific study of the relationships between living things and their environments Pollution harmful things to an environment and its inhabitants Adaptation the ability to respond to change There are two main kinds of adaptations: physical and behavioral Physical adaptations are changes in the bodies of the organism such as camouflage, changes in types of bird beaks, etc. Behavioral adaptations are changes in how organisms act such as migrating south for the winter in colder climates Behavior the actions of a living thing Survival the ability to remain alive Drought a prolonged period of little to no rainfall Predator an animal that hunts another to obtain food Prey a hunted animal that becomes a food source Camouflage the ability of an organism to blend in with its environment to avoid predators Ecosystem all of the living and nonliving things in an area Population all of the living things in the same group, living in the same area Individual a single member of a group
Interact how organisms respond to each other Overpopulation too many of a species for the environment Habitat where an organism lives Producer plants that create their own energy Consumer animals that eat plants and/or other animals for energy There are different levels of consumers. Primary consumers eat the producer plants while secondary consumers eat the primary ones. Decomposer bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and provide nutrients to soil Worms, slugs, and maggots also play a role in the decomposition process Food Chain the order of what is eaten in an environment to obtain energy
Food Web a series of food chains Nocturnal active at night Instinct behavior that you are born with and didn t have to learn Thrive to do very well Perish to die Flood too much water for an environment to handle Basic Needs what an organism requires to survive Impact how something affects another Competition - the fight between organisms for a limited amount of resources, usually food
Biotic living things Abiotic nonliving things Invasive Species a nonnative plant or animal that takes over an environment Migration a behavioral adaptation in which animals move to another place in order to meet their basic needs Renewable Resource something that can be replaced Nonrenewable Resource something that cannot be replaced Recycling - taking something and making it into something different Reducing means to use less of a resource Reusing means to take an existing thing and use it for a different purpose Recycling is to take something and make it into something else Defense the way a plant or animal protects itself against predators in order to survive Plants and animals use a variety of defenses (claws, speed, agility, hiding, etc.) but all of them serve the same purpose: to help the organism survive and allow it to reproduce in order for the species to survive rather than go extinct. 4.L.2 Understand food and the benefits of vitamins, minerals and exercise. 4.L.2.1 Classify substances as food or non-food items based on their ability to provide energy and materials for survival, growth, and repair of the body. 4.L.2.2 Explain the role of vitamins and minerals, and exercise in maintaining a healthy body.
Vitamins - nutrients that the body needs to work properly Minerals - nutrients that the body needs to work properly Humans need foods that include proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, which are big food molecules that offer energy, help with growth and repair, and play specific roles in maintaining your health. Exercise - the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit We get the energy they need to grow and develop properly when we eat healthy food and exercise Energy - the ability to do work Growth gradual changes in organisms throughout their lives, an increase of something Repair the act of putting something back in working order Healthy - being physically and mentally sound Diet the food and drink consumed by animals and humans Supplements added vitamins and nutrients to food Nutrients things in food that nourishes and provides your body with what it needs Carbohydrates - sugars, starch, and fiber compounds Fat - big food molecules that stores energy Food what we eat and drink that provides both nutrients and energy Protein a nutrient that builds, maintains, and replaces the tissues in your body; the building blocks of cells Food group a way of organizing food by where it comes from Digest - turning food into energy and allowing your body to absorb the nutrients that it needs from it