Describe the five levels of ecological organization in the context of the biosphere and biomes
What will be an ideal response?
The biosphere is all organisms on Earth and the places where they live. Biomes are associated
vegetation types including the microorganisms, fungi and animals that are associated with the
vegetation type. Biomes are defined for terrestrial environments, but there are aquatic counterparts.
The five levels of ecological organization are defined by increasingly complex and inclusive levels of
organization. Any given level of organization obviously occurs within the biosphere, and can be, but
does not have to be associated with a particular biome. Organismal ecology focuses on the genetic,
biochemical, physiological, morphological and behavioral adaptations of organisms to the abiotic
environment. Since the abiotic environment, primarily precipitation and temperature, define biomes,
organisms occur or do not occur in some respects within biomes. Population ecology focuses on
groups of individuals of the same species that live in the same area (together). Community ecology
focuses on groups of populations that occur together in one area. Ecosystem ecology focuses on the
cycling of nutrients and flow of energy between the biotic components of an ecological community
and the abiotic environment. All levels of ecological organization are bounded by the extent of the
biosphere, that is, where life is found, from terrestrial to freshwater to marine environments. All
biomes and their freshwater and marine counterparts are also bounded by the extent of the biosphere
and defined by the morphological and physiological similarities in species that occupy similar abiotic
environments.
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Structures known as microvilli are associated with:
A. communication between cells. B. increased surface area for gas exchange. C. adhesion to the extracellular matrix. D. increased surface area for nutrient absorption.
The Law of Independent Assortment states that
A. Two different genes will randomly assort their alleles during the formation of haploid cells B. Two different alleles will randomly assort during the formation of haploid cells C. Two different genes will NOT randomly assort their alleles during the formation of haploid cells D. Two different genes will randomly assort their alleles during the formation of diploid cells
Making new genomes is called ________.
A. bioengineering B. cloning C. recombinant DNA D. synthetic biology E. genetic engineering
Which statement about the geologic time scale is false?
a. Mammals originated early in the Mesozoic era. b. Radiations of marine invertebrates took place in the Mesozoic era. c. Mass extinction of the dinosaurs occurred about 65 million years ago. d. Reptiles originated during the Paleozoic era. e. Eukaryotes originated during the Proterozoic eon.