Unit 3 Sustainability and Interdependence
Glossary
accumulate build up or magnify
absorption spectrumgraph showing wavelengths of light absorbed by apigment
action spectrumgraph showing the wavelengths of light involved in photosynthesis
agriculture human practice of growing crops and keeping livestock to maintain food security
alliance link between individuals in a primate social group which can increase social status
Altruistic behaviourbehaviour that harms the donor but benefits the recipient
annual weedweed plant that completes its life cycle in 1 year
ATP synthasemembrane-bound enzyme that synthesises ATP
back-crosscross between an F hybrid organism with a parental type to maintain characteristics of a new breed
biodiversity variety and relative abundance of species
biological controlmethod of controlling pests using natural predators, parasites or diseases
biological yield total dry mass increase
bottleneck effect inability of a species to evolve due to lack of genetic diversity
Calvin cyclecarbon fixation stage of photosynthesis
carotenoids orange and yellow accessory pigments in plants
cellulose structural carbohydrate in cell walls derived from photosynthesis
chlorophyll green pigment molecule in plants that absorbs red and blue light for photosynthesis
climate change changes in climate brought about by changes in the temperature of the Earth
coenzyme NADP hydrogen carrier in photosynthesis
competitionstruggle for existence between two organisms
cooperative hunting hunting behaviour in which individuals work together to catch prey
crop pestorganism that reduces the yield of crops
cross-breeding breeding organisms of different genotype together
cultivar variety of cultivated crop
culturalbased on human behaviours and activities
dominant animal animal ranked at the top of a social hierarchy
economic yielddry mass of desired product from a crop
ecosysteminteraction between communities and their habitats
ecosystem diversity variety of different ecosystems in a defined area
edge species species adapted to the edges of habitats
ethologythe observation and study of animal behaviour
F1 generation first generation of offspring from a genetic cross
F2 generation offspring of an F generation
fertiliser chemical addition to soil to increase plant growth
field trialnon-laboratory test on the performance of a crop in various environmental conditions
food chaindiagram to show the flow of energy in an ecosystem
food securitymeasure of the human ability to produce and use food
fungicidechemical substance that kills fungal pest species
genetic diversitynumber and frequency of alleles in a population
genetic transformationchanges made to the genetic material of a cell by the addition of DNA from another cell
genome sequencingprocedure to produce the nucleotide sequence of an entire genome
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P)compound in the Calvin cycle that can be converted to glucose or used to regenerate RuBP
GM crop genetically modified crop that contains a gene from other species
habitat corridor Link between pieces of habitat in which species can feed, mate and pass through
habitat fragment very small area of isolated habitat
habitat island area of habitat isolated from other habitats
harvest index value obtained by dividing dry mass of economic yield by dry mass of biological yield
heterozygous having two different alleles of the same gene and so not breeding true
homozygoushaving two identical alleles of the same gene and so breeding true
hostorganism on or in which a parasite lives
inbreeding crossing organisms of the same or similar genotype
Inbreeding depressionaccumulation of homozygous recessive alleles that lower biological fitness
indigenous speciesnative species occurring naturally in its ecosystem, having evolved there
integrated pest management IPM; use of chemical, biological and cultural means to control pests
introduced speciesspecies that has been brought by humans from one geographical location to another
invasive species introduced species that has become naturalised in and then harmful to its community
isolationsituation in which genes are not able to flow
keystone speciesspecies that has a central and important stabilising role in a community
kin selectionorganism donating resources to those with whom they share genetic material
light energyradiant energy used in photosynthesis
livestock agricultural animals
mass extinctiondisappearance of many groups of living organisms at the same point in time
megafaunalarge animals, usually bigger than humans, that need extensive habitat and breed slowly
misdirected behaviournormal behaviour that has been directed inappropriately, such as over-grooming
mutualismsymbiosis in which both partners benefit from the arrangement
naturalised speciesintroduced species that has taken a place in the wild community -
net assimilationtotal dry mass increase through photosynthesis minus the loss from respiration
outbreedingbreeding of organisms of different genotypes
3-phosphoglycerate (3PG) produced when CO2 is fixed to RuBP by RuBisCo
parasite symbiotic partner that damages its host but benefits itself
parental careactivities performed by parents that increase the survival chances of their young
perennial weed weed that persists in the community by continuing to grow year after year
persistent unable to be broken down by enzymes
pest organism that damages agricultural produce and reduces food security
pesticide chemical that kills pests
photolysis breakdown of water molecules using energy from light
photosynthesis production of carbohydrate by a plant using the energy of light
pigment coloured substance that absorbs light for photosynthesis
plant and animal breedingmethods of crossing domestic animals and plants
preference testexperiment in which animals are given choices to guide the planning of their welfare
primates mammalian group that includes monkeys, apes and humans
productivity measure of the performance of a plant
randomisedapplies to values that have been arrived at by chance
recessive allele that only shows in the phenotype when homozygous
reciprocal altruismwhen an altruistic act is returned by the original recipient to the original donor
reflection light that strikes a leaf passes away from its surface back to the atmosphere
relative abundancenumbers of an organism compared with others in a community
replicate repeat experiment in an investigation
resistant stage spores or other resting state of an organism that tolerates adverse conditions
ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) acceptor of carbon dioxide in the Calvin cycle
RuBisCo ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase; fixes carbon dioxide in the Calvin cycle
secondary host organism involved in a stage of the life cycle of a parasite separate from the main host
selective applies to pesticides whose action is targeted
self-pollinatingpassing pollen within the flowers of a single individual
social hierarchy grouping of individuals within a species graded by their social position
social insectsinsects that live in complex social colonies
species diversitymeasure of species richness and relative abundance
species richnessnumber of different species in a community
starch storage carbohydrate in plants
stereotypic behaviour repetitive movements, such as apparently aimless pacing
subordinateanimal lower in the hierarchy; below the dominant individual
symbiosis partnership that has coevolved between two different species
systemic affecting all tissues of an organism’s body
taxonomic groupgrouping of organisms used in classification
test cross cross between an organism of unknown genotype and a homozygous recessive organism
transmission physical process of passing light energy through a surface
trophic level feeding level in a food chain
true breedingHomozygous
vectorcarries stages of a parasite into a host organism
welfare of animalsrelating to activities designed to be humane to livestock while maximising their yield