INTRODUCTION TO
ECOLOGY
INTRODUCTION

Ecology:


Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among
organisms with each other and their environment or
surroundings.
Biosphere

The biosphere is the portion of the planet where life
exists, including, land, water, air, or atmosphere.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Bio = life



Biotic factors are things that are living or were once
living
Examples: ?
A = not


Abiotic factors are things that were never alive
Examples: ?
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE

Organism= any individual living thing
BIOLOGY
The science of “LIFE”
=__________________
= ________________
Study of living things
So what makes
Something
Alive?
Image from: http://analyzer.depaul.edu/astrobiology/kingdoms.jpg
Bacteria
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ALL LIVING THINGS
cells
1.Made of _________
Reproduce
2. _____________
universal genetic code
3. Based on a _____________________
Grow
develop
4. _______
and ____________
Obtain & use
materials & _______
energy
5.______
___ ________
Respond to their ____________
environment
6. ________
change over time
7.As a group, __________________
ALL LIVING THINGS ARE:
MADE OF CELLS
CELL is the
The _____
______________.
basic unit of life
http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/study_guides_bi.htm
ALL LIVING THINGS
REPRODUCE
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
________________________
_____________the
combines
genetic material
___________________
from _____________
2 parents
________________
sperm + egg = baby
Seen in animals and plants
Family image from: http://babyhearing.org/Parenet2Parent/index.asp
ALL LIVING THINGS
REPRODUCE
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
_________________________
makes a new organism
using the
genetic material
________________
from
ONLY 1 PARENT
_________________
Seen in bacteria, plants, and some animals
Planaria animation: http://www.t3.rim.or.jp/~hylas/planaria/title.htm
All living things share a
universal genetic code
Hereditary material = DNA
______________________
DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC
ACID
Segment of DNA with
________________
PROTEIN
instructions for one _________
GENE
is called a ________.
Image from: http://sbchem.sunysb.edu/msl/dna.gif
ALL LIVING THINGS
Grow & develop
IMAGE BY RIEDELL
SINGLE CELLED organisms,
_____________
like a bacterium, grow by
INCREASING
in SIZE
________________.
ALL LIVING THINGS
Grow & develop
IMAGE BY RIEDELL
Image from: http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/life/images/grow.JPG
Multicellular organisms grow bigger
increasing cell size
by __________________
AND _____________________.
increasing cell number
ALL LIVING THINGS
Take in Materials & Use Energy
grow and develop
To________________,organisms
need
_______
a constant supply of
BUILDING MATERIALS &
____________________
ENERGY!
____________
This sheep uses the
MOLECULES and ENERGY
in the food it eats to
make “more sheep”
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/ansc442/Semprojs/2003/spiderlamb/eatsheep.gif
ALL LIVING THINGS
TAKE IN MATERIALS & USE ENERGY
___________ use
AUTOTROPHS
energy from sunlight
or chemicals to
make their own food
________________
Image from: http://vilenski.org/science/safari/cellstructure/chloroplasts.html
GREEN PLANTS use
Ex: _____________
photosynthesis
____________to
turn
glucose
_________ into _________
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/downloads/images/pics2/tree.gif
ALL LIVING THINGS
TAKE
IN
MATERIALS & USE ENERGY
______________
HETEROTROPHS
get their energy by
consuming
other organisms
___________________
Animals (including you)
Ex: ________
most bacteria
and _________________
Image from: http://www.epa.gov/region5/superfund/ecology/images/fishcartoon.gif
ALL LIVING THINGS
RESPOND
TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT
A signal to which an organism responds
STIMULUS
= ___________________
Image from: http://www.travel-net.com/~andrews/images/animations/traffic.gif
ALL LIVING THINGS
RESPOND
TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT
Image from: http://www.ccs.k12.in.us/chsBS/kons/kons/images/stimresp.jpg
A stimulus can be
EXTERNAL
_________________
Ex: When there is enough water
and ground is warm enough,
seed germinates. Roots respond to
gravity & grow downward.
Leaves respond to sunlight & grow up.
http://www.nofretete-page.de/gemischtNeu/TN_plant_grow_w.JPG
ALL LIVING THINGS
RESPOND
TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT
http://www.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookCHEM2.html
A stimulus can be
INTERNAL
____________
Ex: When the glucose level
in your bloodstream
becomes low, your body
responds by making you
feel hungry.
http://www.israellycool.com/eat%20guy%20AFP.jpg
ALL LIVING THINGS
AS A GROUP, CHANGE OVER TIME
EVOLUTION
= ______________
Allows _______
survival of
________
in a
species
___________
changing world
http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=63386&rendTypeId=4
CFU
1. List three things that make something
“living”?
2. Where do plants get their energy from if they
don’t eat?
3. A virus is made of a protein shell (not an
actual cell) and a small piece of genetic material.
It can evolve and change over time. It can’t
reproduce by itself or with another virus. It
needs a host cell. Is a virus alive? Explain.
LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION


Ecologists study different levels of organization
to understand relationships within the biosphere.
There are FIVE main levels of organization that
ecologists study
LEVEL 1 – SPECIES
Species – A group of organisms so similar to
one another that they can breed and produce
fertile offspring.
 Example: a porcupine, daisies, and red pandas
are all different species

LEVEL 2 - POPULATION
Population – A group of individuals that belong to
the same species, live in the same area, and can
interbreed.
 Example: These giraffes are members of a
population

LEVEL 3 - COMMUNITY
Community – All the populations that live
together in a specific area
 Example: All of the living things that live in
and around this stream live in the same
community

LEVEL 4 - ECOSYSTEM
Ecosystem – The community PLUS the abiotic
factors in an area.
 Example: Grass, trees, insects, frogs, light, soil,
sunlight, water

LEVEL 5 – BIOME
Biome – A large area that has a particular climate
and particular species of plants and animals that live
there
 Example: Tropical rainforest (shown in dark green)

USE THE CHART TO SUMMARIZE YOUR
INFORMATION
Level
1
2
3
4
5
Name
Example
CFU


For each slide, write on a half sheet of paper
what stage/level of system we are looking at.
Be sure to look at the words AND pictures
RAINFORESTS
KOALAS IN AUSTRALIA
PENGUINS
ELEPHANT AND PLANTS
PEOPLE AND THEIR PETS
PLANTS, ANIMALS, SOIL, WATER
DESERT REGIONS
DEER IN ST LOUIS
FISH, WHALE, PLANTS, WATER
CLOUDS, CACTUS, SAND
TULIPS
COCKROACHES IN A DUMPSTER
PARROT AND TREE