Midterm Biology Review

Front

What is respiration?

Back

Respiration is the process by which organisms release energy from food, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a byproduct.

Front

What is a consumer in ecological terms?

Back

A consumer is an organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms, as opposed to producing its own food.

Front

What role does a primary consumer play in a food web?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants) and is typically herbivorous.

Front

What is competitive exclusion?

Back

Competitive exclusion is a principle stating that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant.

Front

Define a limiting factor in ecology.

Back

A limiting factor is any condition or resource that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or population.

Front

What is photosynthesis?

Back

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll, converting CO2 and water into glucose and oxygen.

Front

What is the difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs?

Back

Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food (e.g., plants), while heterotrophs (consumers) obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Front

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

Front

What is resource partitioning?

Back

Resource partitioning is the process by which competing species use the environment differently to coexist, reducing competition.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they are typically carnivorous or omnivorous.