Biology Exam Targets 1 – 5 Study Guide
1. List and describe the levels of organization is represented by all the living organisms in an area?
The levels of organization with in the ecosystem are:
 Organism – one species in an area (prairie dog)
 Population – more than one of the same species in an area (10 prairie dogs)
 Community – more than one population in an area (prairie dogs, hawks , buffalo, and grass)
 Ecosystem – More than one population in an area along with abiotic factors. (prairie dogs, hawks ,
buffalo, grass, dirt, rocks, temperature, sunlight, and water)
2. What are limiting factors of an ecosystem?
Limiting factors in an ecosystem are factors that keep a population from growing.
3. List the limiting factors.
Limiting factors are:
 Water
 Food
 Shelter
 Space
4. What is an abiotic factor? Give an example of an abiotic factor.
An abiotic factor is the part of an ecosystem that is not living or has never been alive. Examples of an abiotic
factor are water, air, rocks, dirt, sand, sunlight, temperature.
5. What is a biotic factor? Give an example of a biotic factor.
A biotic factor is the part of an ecosystem that is living. Examples of a biotic factor would be grass, prairie
dogs, hawks, owls, snakes and buffalos.
Algae→ Tadpoles → Blue Gill fish → Large Mouth Bass
6. What would happen to the lake ecosystem if the algae disappeared?
If the algae disappears the population of tadpoles, blue gills and largemouth bass will decrease.
7. What type of consumer are the tadpoles?
Primary consumers because, they eat only producers.
8. What type of consumer are the Blue Gill Fish?
Secondary consumers because, they eat primary consumers.
9. What type of consumer are the Large Mouth Bass?
Tertiary consumer because, they eat secondary consumers.
10. How would a population stabilize if the main plant producer reduced?
The population would stabilize by dying off or emigrating to a new area.
11. How would the population stabilize if a new predator was introduced?
The population would stabilize if the prey species will reproduce more offspring to replace them.
12. Two owls are fighting over a mouse. What is this an example of?
This is an example of competition.
13. Why is it an example of what you named in question 12?
It is competition because the owls are fighting over a limiting factor, the mouse, which is food. One
owl will survive and the other will either die or have to find food elsewhere.
14. Name the symbiotic relationship for each of the following examples.
a. A mosquito sucking blood from a deer.
Parasitic relationship
b. A cleaner fish cleaning and eating the food out of a large ocean fish.
A mutualistic relationship
c. Starling birds flying over army ants clearing a field. When the ants clear the field, bugs
jump up to get out of the way and the starlings are able to eat the bugs that are trying to
escape.
A Commensalistic relationship
15. What is a producer?
An organism that makes its own food.
16. What is a consumer?
An organism that eats other organisms
17. Give an example of a food chain.
Algae→ Tadpoles → Blue Gill fish → Large Mouth Bass
18. What level would a tertiary consumer be located?
Level 4
19. How does energy travel through the energy pyramid?
Energy travels from level 1 to level 4 in the energy pyramid.
20. What level has the highest amount of energy?
The highest amount of energy is located in level 1
21. What level has the lowest amount of energy?
Level 4 has the lowest amount of energy
22. How does natural selection work?
Natural Selection works when favorable traits that help an organism survive, are passed on
through the offspring from generation to generation.
23. Give an example of natural selection.
An example of natural selection would be giraffes with long necks were able to eat from the trees
while the giraffes with short necks couldn’t. The long neck giraffes were able to survive while the
short neck giraffes couldn’t. The long neck giraffes were then able to reproduce more long neck
giraffes and eventually overcome having short necks at all.
24. Darwin discovered that the Tortoises on the Galapagos Islands necks were suited for what
purpose?
The tortoises necks were suited to the tortoises food needs. Short neck tortoises ate food lower to
the ground, while long neck tortoises at from vegetation that was higher up.
25. What are homologous structures?
Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor.
26. Give an example of homologous structures.
Humans have the same for arm bone structure as a bat, whale and dog.