Intro to BIOLOGY

Bio= LifeLogy= Study of

What are the characteristics of living

things?

All living things have an organized structure: composed of one or more cells.

All living things reproduce.

All living things grow and develop.

All living things adjust to changes in the environment.

Ex. Trees adjust to cold, dry winter weather by losing their leaves.

Living things adapt and evolve.

Ecology

Eco= HomeEcology is the study of organisms

and the interaction with their environment.

All living and non-living parts of the environment create an ecosystem.

Biotic factors: Are all the living parts of the environment.

Ex. Animals, plants, bacteria, etc.

Abiotic factors: Are all the non-living parts of the environment.

Ex. Dirt, rocks, oxygen, water, etc.

Symbiosis= Living together.

Mutualism: Interaction in which Both organisms benefit.

Parasitism: Interaction in which oneorganism benefits and the other is Negatively affected.Commensalism: Interaction in which One species benefits and the other isUnaffected.

Symbiosis

Autotrophs (Producers)(self feed)

Are organisms that make their own food. They obtain energy through photosynthesis.

Ex: Plants, trees, plankton, some bacteria

Heterotrophs (Consumers)

• Are organisms that feed on producers or other organisms to obtain energy.

• Ex: Animals

Herbivore(Primary consumer)

An herbivore is an animal that gets its energy from eating plants, and only plants. Many herbivores have special digestive systems that let them digest all kinds of plants, including grasses.

Carnivore (Secondary consumer)

A carnivore is an animal that eats meat only.

Animals that eat other animals, like carnivores and omnivores are important to any ecosystem, because they keep other species from getting overpopulated.

Omnivore (Tertiary consumer)An omnivore is a kind of animal that eats either other animals or plants. Some omnivores will hunt and eat their food, like carnivores, eating herbivores and other omnivores.

DECOMPOSERSDecomposers break down dead plants and animals. They also break down the waste of other organisms. Decomposers are very important for any ecosystem. There are two kinds of decomposers, fungi and bacteria.

MUTUALISM

MUTUALISM

Parasitism

Mutualism

Parasitism

Parasitism

MUTUALISM

PARASITISM

COMMENSALISM

PARASITISM

None, because they are the same species!