Category 4

Readiness — Knowledge and Skills Science 8 — STAAR Review

Organisms and the environment

8.11 (A) The student is expected to describe producer/consumer, predator/prey, and parasite/host relationships as they occur in food webs within marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.

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 Predator — Organism that kills, hunts, and consumes another organism.  Prey — The organism that is killed and eaten by a predator. Predation — When predators hunt prey. Producer — Organism capable of making its own food. EX, photosynthesis Consumer — Organism that must eat another organism to obtain energy. Parasite — an organism that depends on another organism for survival and which causes harm in the process. Host — Organism that is harmed by a parasite.

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Decomposer — Organism that breaks down dead organism returning their nutrients back into a food chain/food web.

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Food Chain — Shows a single path of energy transfer in an ecosystem. (diagram 1)

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Food Web — A series of interconnected food chains. Shows multiple paths of energy transfer in an ecosystem. (diagram 2)

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Primary Consumer – Organism that eats a producer. (See diagram 1)

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Secondary Consumer — Organism that eats a primary consumer. (See diagram 1)

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Autotrophs — can make their own food from light or chemical energy. Plants are autotrophs.

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Heterotrophs — must obtain their energy in other ways. They cannot make their own.

Calc!

10% of energy is passed to next trophic level. 90% used or lost in life process

Diagram 1

Diagram 2

? Plants compete with other plants for abiotic resources such as sunlight, water, and space. Do animals compete for any of these same resources? What resources cause competition between animals?

8.11 (B) The student will investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures or soil composition and the students will explore how short and long tem environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations.  Biotic factors — These resources are related to life or living factors such as plants, animals, fungi, protists and bacteria.  Abiotic Factors — These resources are non living factors in an environment such as habitat, weather, sunlight, oxygen or other important elements.  Biotic and Abiotic factors combine to make an ecosystem which is a community of living and nonliving things. If a single factor is changed in an ecosystem due to human intervention of a natural event, the whole system can be altered.  Dependence — when organisms require biotic or abiotic resources to survive  Population — all members of a specific species in an area  Biodiversity — the number and variety of species in an area, more biodiversity = more complex ecosystem  Natural Selection — the process where the organisms most fit to survive in their environment do, survival of the fittest  Adaptations — characteristics an organism possesses that allow it to be more successful in its environment  Ecological succession — process through which species of organisms move into a new area; smaller/less complex give way to larger/more complex ecosystems

Category 4 Continued….

Eukaryotic Cells—are more advanced, larger and varied. These type cells are found in organisms such as plants, animals, and protists.

Types of Cells Prokaryotic Cells are simple, small cells, that do not have a membrane around the nucleus. Bacteria are prokaryotic. Prokaryote simply means—before the nucleus. Cell Part (organelle)

The cell has four main parts: the cell membrane, cytoplasm, the nucleus, and membrane bound organelles.

Function

Mitochondria

Energy center or "powerhouse" of the cell. Turns food into useable energy (ATP)

Vacuole

Stores water or other substances, plant cells contain a large central vacuole.

Chloroplast

Uses sunlight to create food, photosynthesis (only found in plant cells)

Cell membrane

outer boundary of the cell; allows materials in and out of the cell

Cell Wall

Nucleus

Cytoplasm

SYSTEMS

respiratory

intake of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide from body

nervous

spinal cord, brain, nerves, skin, eyes, ears, tongue, nose

control of body activities and the reaction to stimuli

digestive

stomach, liver, teeth, tongue, pancreas, intestine, esophagus

break down of food and absorption for use as energy

excretory

kidneys, bladder ureters, skin

controls water and salt balance

endocrine

pituitary gland, adrenal gland, thyroid gland, gonads

production of hormones and body regulation

skeletal and muscular

bones, muscles

protection and movement

blood, blood

transport of nutrients, metabolic

Exchange of nutrients

Domains

FUNCTIONS

lungs, nasal passages, bronchi, pharynx, trachea, diaphragm, bronchial tubes

Provides additional support (plants) A membrane bound organelle that contains the genetic material which will govern the traits of the individual; Controls cell function

ORGANS

There are three Domains in which all organisms are classified. circulatory vessels, heart, wastes, water, salts, and  Eukarya All eukaryotes (organisms with an organized nucleus) are classified lymph disease fighting cells under this domain. It includes four Kingdoms: protection of body from injury Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Protista. and bacteria, maintenance of integumentary  Archaea All Archaebacteria are classified under this domain. tissue moisture, holds receptors skin These include bacteria that live in extreme environments such as arctic for stimuli response, body heat regulation temperatures, hot springs, and volcanic vents. This domain only includes one Kingdom: Archaebacteria.  Eubacteria All other bacteria are classified under this domain. These include bacteria that are decomposers and non harmful bacteria that help our bodies, as well as disease causing bacteria. This Domain only includes one Kingdom: Bacteria.

Kingdoms  Animals Dogs, cats, fleas, and sea coral are examples of animals. They are multicellular eukaryotes that are heterotrophs (consumers). Most can move from one place to another. Most reproduce sexually.

 Plants are multicellular, eukaryotes. All are autotrophs (producers). Examples of plants are grass, trees, vegetable plants, and weeds. They can reproduce sexually or asexually.

 Fungi include organisms such as mushrooms, molds, and yeast. They are eukaryotes. Many are multicellular, but some are unicellular. All are heterotrophs. Most feed on dead or decaying organisms. They can reproduce sexually or asexually.

 Protista are eukaryotes. Some are unicellular, and some are multicellular. Many of these organisms are microscopic such as Amoeba, Paramecium, and Euglena. Some are autotrophs and others are heterotrophs. They can reproduce sexually or asexually.

 Eubacteria are unicellular prokaryotes that can be helpful or harmful. Bacteria in yogurt or your digestive system can be helpful, while bacteria that 

cause diseases such as E. coli or Salmonella can be harmful. Some of these bacteria are decomposers which play an important and helpful role in our ecosystem. Some are autotrophs while others are heterotrophs. They reproduce asexually. They live in moderate environments. Archaebacteria are unicellular prokaryotes that live in extreme environments such as volcanic vents, arctic temperatures, and hot springs. They can be autotrophic or heterotrophic. They reproduce asexually.