Test your basic knowledge |

PCAT Biology Ecology

Subjects : pcat, biology
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Organisms that manufacture their own food






2. Determine by the amount of decaying plant and animal life in the soil






3. Elemental nitrogen is chemically inert and cannot be used by most organisms. Lightning and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the roots of legumes change the nitrogen into the usable - soluble nitrates






4. Only animal life and other heterotrophic life exists






5. Adaptations for maintaining their internal osmolarity and conserving water






6. Without a constant input of energy from the sun - an ecosystem would soon run down - as food is transferred from one level of the food chain to the next - a transfer of energy occurs






7. Made into nitrites by chemosynthetic bacteria and then to usable nitrates by nitrifying bacteria






8. Freshwater Biomes vs. Saltwater 2: In rivers and streams - strong swift currents exist - and thus fish that have developed strong muscles and plants with _____________ have survived






9. Contains plankton - passively drifting masses of microscopic photosynthetic and heterotrophic organisms - and nekton - and algae






10. Animals that consume primary consumers (carnivores)






11. Lichens and moss






12. Live in burrows had few birds and mammals are found except those which have developed adaptations for maintaining constant body temperatures






13. The vegetation that becomes dominant and stable after years of evolutiionary development






14. Receive less rainfall than the temperate forests - have long - cold winters - and are inhabited by single coniferous tree-the spruce -extreme northern parts of Canada and Russia






15. One or both organisms can't survive without the other






16. Includes all portions of the planet that support life -the atmosphere - the lithosphere - and the hydrosphere






17. Developed long legs and many are hoofed






18. Deer - fox - woodchuck - and squirrel






19. In the ocean - the top layer thorugh which light can penetrate - is where all aquatic photosynthetic activity takes place






20. Have adaptations enabling them to survive in very cod water - with high pressures - and in complete darkness






21. Region exposed to low tides that undergoes variations in temperature and periods of dryness






22. The study of interactions between organisms and their environment






23. Consists of populations of different plants and animal species interacting with each other in a given environment






24. Links between oceans and land






25. Cold - dry - and inhabited by fir - pine - and spruce trees -much vegetation has evolved adaptations for water conservation such as needle-shaped leaves -Extreme Northern Part of the US and in Southern Canada






26. Treeless - frozen plain found between the taiga lands and the northern ice sheets - very short summer and thus a very short growing season during which time the ground becomes wet and marshy






27. Every energy transfer involves a loss of energy and each level of the food chain uses some of the energy it obtains from the food for its own metabolism and loses some additional energy in the form of heat






28. The ultimate source of energy for all organisms






29. Include saprophytic organisms and organisms of decay






30. Material is cycled and recycled betweenn organisms and their environments - passing from inorganic forms to organic forms and then back to the inorganic forms






31. Group of organisms of the same species living together in a given location






32. Encompasses all that is external to the organism and is necessary for its existence






33. Individuals belonging to the same species use the same resources and if a particular resource is limited - then these organisms must compete with one another






34. One species may be competitively superior in some regions - and the other may be superior in other regions under different environmental conditions. this would result in the elimination of one species in some places and the other in other places






35. Used to include only the population and not their physical environment






36. Must be maintained at an optimal level -organisms have adaptations necessary for protection against extremes






37. Vegetation such as vines and eppiphytes






38. Freshwater Biomes vs. Saltwater 1: Freshwater is _______________ which results in the passage of water into the cell. Freshwater organisms have homeostatic mechanisms to maintain water balance by the regular removal of the excess water. these include






39. Any group of similar organisms that are capable of reproducing






40. Vegetation has evolved adaptations for water conservation such as needle shaped leaves






41. Food chain is not a simple linear chain but an intricate web






42. One species may be competitively superior to the other and drive the second to extinction






43. Two species may rapidly evolve in divergent directions under the strong selection pressure resulting from intense competition. thus - the two species would rapidly evolve greater differences in their niches






44. Animals eat the plants and synthesize specific animal proteins form the plant proteins. both plants and animals give off wastes and eventually die






45. Region on the continental shelf that contains ocean area with depths up to 600 feet and extends several hundred miles from the shores






46. Animals that only eat other animals -possess pointed teeth and fang-like canine teeth for tearing flesh -have shorter digestive tracts because the easier digestibility of animal food






47. The nitrogen locked up in the wastes and dead tissues is released by the action of the bacteria of decay - which convert the proteins into ammonia






48. Free-living organisms that feed on other living organisms






49. Conserve water actively






50. Crawling and sessile organsms