Welcome to Class!
8-28
Complete the following:
 Take out Journal with Cornell notes for Homework
grade (be sure to Enter new entry as well as label the
page you took notes on for today “What is Ecology?”)
 Glue in vocabulary #2 next available page and create 3
column chart just like vocab#1
Agenda
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Lecture notes on What is Ecology?
Sort out cards
Summary/Concept Map
Homefun:
 none  but I’d like you to complete lab report for Heart
Rate Lab over the weekends!
 In addition, there will be another lecture note posted
over the weekends. This is not for a grade but it would
be better to take Cornell notes ahead of time so you
don’t spend lots of time in class trying to copy down the
notes
What Is Ecology?
Learning Objectives
 Describe the study of ecology.
 Explain how biotic and abiotic factors influence an
ecosystem.
 Describe the methods used to study ecology.
Biology
Biology is the study of life.
But what IS life?
Characteristics of Life
Reproduce
Genetic code
Homeostasis
Grow and
develop
Metabolism
Evolve
Respond to their
environment
Made of cells
Made of Cells
• Living organisms all show order; highly-organized
structures in their cells, tissues, organs, or organ
systems.
– Example: The presence of tiny hair-like structures
called cilia covering the entire surface of a single-celled
paramecium.
Evolve
• In a population, individuals with favorable traits
will survive and reproduce at higher rates.
– These traits are called adaptations.
A male Chilean stag beetle, Chiasognatus granti.
Response to their environment
• Living organisms have the ability to respond to
changes in their environment called stimuli.
• Living organisms must maintain a specific range
of internal conditions in spite of the outside
changes. This balance is called homeostasis.
Chickens pant to give off excess heat.
• All life is able to reproduce, passing their genes
along to healthy, fertile offspring.
King snakes hatching.
Grow and
Develop
• Organisms grow
and develop
along a specific
sequence based
on the
instructions
present in their
genes.
Metabolism
• Each organism must have a source of energy.
Monarch butterfly caterpillar.
Genetic Code
• All living things contain Genetic Information
– Example: DNA and RNA
Organization of Life
• The biosphere is the part of Earth that supports
life.
• An ecosystem is a specific area within the
biosphere with a common set of physical
characteristics.
– Climate, soil, landforms, etc.
• The biological community
is made of all populations
living and interacting in
one ecosystem.
• A population includes all
members of a species that
live in the same
community.
• An organism is an
individual living thing.
• Organisms are made of organ systems and organs,
structures with a specific vital function.
• Each organ is made of a collection of tissues,
which are groups of cells with similar structure
and functions.
• The cell is the smallest unit of an organism that
still demonstrates all the basic characteristics of
life.
Moss is an organism made of stems and leaves (organs). Each leaf is
made of different tissues, which then contains many cells.
Ecology
The scientific investigation and
analysis of interactions among
organisms and their responses
to external factors in their
environment
Species and Populations
Species
Population
Community
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Biome
Biosphere
Biotic and Abiotic
Biotic
Environment
Abiotic
Ecological Methods
• Observation
• Experimentation
• Modeling
Levels of Organization
Community
Population
Biome
Organism
Ecosystem
Biosphere