Category 4
Readiness — Knowledge and Skills
Science 8 — STAAR Review
Organisms and the environment
8.11 (A) The student is expected to describe producer/consumer, predator/prey, and parasite/host relationships as they occur in food
webs within marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.
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 Predator — Organism that kills, hunts, and consumes another organism.
 Prey — The organism that is killed and eaten by a predator.
Predation — When predators hunt prey.
Producer — Organism capable of making its own food. EX, photosynthesis
Consumer — Organism that must eat another organism to obtain energy.
Parasite — an organism that depends on another organism for survival and which
causes harm in the process.
Host — Organism that is harmed by a parasite.
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Decomposer — Organism that breaks down dead organism returning their nutrients
back into a food chain/food web.
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Food Chain — Shows a single path of energy transfer in an ecosystem. (diagram 1)
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Food Web — A series of interconnected food chains. Shows multiple paths of energy
transfer in an ecosystem. (diagram 2)
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Primary Consumer – Organism that eats a producer. (See diagram 1)
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Secondary Consumer —
Organism that eats a primary
consumer. (See diagram 1)
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Autotrophs — can make
their own food from light or
chemical energy. Plants are
autotrophs.
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Heterotrophs — must obtain
their energy in other ways.
They cannot make their own.
Calc!
10% of energy is passed to next
trophic level. 90% used or lost
in life process
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
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Plants compete with
other plants for abiotic
resources such as
sunlight, water, and space. Do animals compete
for any of these same resources?
What resources cause competition between
animals?
8.11 (B) The student will investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic
factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures or soil composition and the students will explore how short and long tem
environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations.
 Biotic factors — These resources are related to life or living factors such
as plants, animals, fungi, protists and bacteria.
 Abiotic Factors — These resources are non living factors in an environment such
as habitat, weather, sunlight, oxygen or other important elements.
 Biotic and Abiotic factors combine to make an ecosystem which is a community
of living and nonliving things. If a single factor is changed in an ecosystem due
to human intervention of a natural event, the whole system can be altered.
 Dependence — when organisms require biotic or abiotic resources to survive
 Population — all members of a specific species in an area
 Biodiversity — the number and variety of species in an area, more biodiversity =
more complex ecosystem
 Natural Selection — the process where the organisms most fit to survive in
their environment do, survival of the fittest
 Adaptations — characteristics an organism possesses that allow it to be more
successful in its environment
 Ecological succession — process through which species of organisms move into
a new area; smaller/less complex give way to larger/more complex ecosystems
Category 4 Continued….
Eukaryotic Cells—are more advanced,
larger and varied. These type cells are
found in organisms such as plants,
animals, and protists.
Types of Cells
Prokaryotic Cells are simple, small cells,
that do not have a membrane around the
nucleus. Bacteria are prokaryotic. Prokaryote
simply means—before the nucleus.
Cell Part
(organelle)
The cell has four main parts: the cell
membrane, cytoplasm, the nucleus, and
membrane bound organelles.
Function
Mitochondria
Energy center or "powerhouse" of the cell.
Turns food into useable energy (ATP)
Vacuole
Stores water or other substances, plant cells
contain a large central vacuole.
Chloroplast
Uses sunlight to create food, photosynthesis
(only found in plant cells)
Cell membrane
outer boundary of the cell; allows materials
in and out of the cell
Cell Wall
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
SYSTEMS
respiratory
intake of oxygen and removal
of carbon dioxide from body
nervous
spinal cord, brain,
nerves, skin, eyes,
ears, tongue, nose
control of body activities and
the reaction to stimuli
digestive
stomach, liver,
teeth, tongue,
pancreas, intestine,
esophagus
break down of food and
absorption for use as energy
excretory
kidneys, bladder
ureters, skin
controls water and salt balance
endocrine
pituitary gland,
adrenal gland,
thyroid gland,
gonads
production of hormones and
body regulation
skeletal and
muscular
bones, muscles
protection and movement
blood, blood
transport of nutrients, metabolic
Exchange of nutrients
Domains
FUNCTIONS
lungs, nasal
passages, bronchi,
pharynx, trachea,
diaphragm,
bronchial tubes
Provides additional support (plants)
A membrane bound organelle that contains
the genetic material which will govern the
traits of the individual; Controls cell function
ORGANS
There are three Domains in which all organisms are classified.
circulatory
vessels, heart,
wastes, water, salts, and
 Eukarya All eukaryotes (organisms with an organized nucleus) are classified
lymph
disease fighting cells
under this domain. It includes four Kingdoms:
protection of body from injury
Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Protista.
and bacteria, maintenance of
integumentary
 Archaea All Archaebacteria are classified under this domain.
tissue moisture, holds receptors
skin
These include bacteria that live in extreme environments such as arctic
for stimuli response, body heat
regulation
temperatures, hot springs, and volcanic vents. This domain only includes
one Kingdom: Archaebacteria.
 Eubacteria All other bacteria are classified under this domain. These include bacteria that are decomposers and non harmful bacteria that help our bodies, as well as disease causing bacteria.
This Domain only includes one Kingdom: Bacteria.
Kingdoms
 Animals Dogs, cats, fleas, and sea coral are examples of animals. They are multicellular eukaryotes that are
heterotrophs (consumers). Most can move from one place to another. Most reproduce sexually.
 Plants are multicellular, eukaryotes. All are autotrophs (producers).
Examples of plants are grass, trees, vegetable plants, and weeds. They can reproduce sexually or asexually.
 Fungi include organisms such as mushrooms, molds, and yeast. They are eukaryotes. Many are multicellular, but some are unicellular. All are
heterotrophs. Most feed on dead or decaying organisms. They can reproduce sexually or asexually.
 Protista are eukaryotes. Some are unicellular, and some are multicellular. Many of these organisms are microscopic such as Amoeba, Paramecium,
and Euglena. Some are autotrophs and others are heterotrophs. They can reproduce sexually or asexually.
 Eubacteria are unicellular prokaryotes that can be helpful or harmful. Bacteria in yogurt or your digestive system can be helpful, while bacteria that
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cause diseases such as E. coli or Salmonella can be harmful. Some of these bacteria are decomposers which play an important and helpful role in our
ecosystem. Some are autotrophs while others are heterotrophs. They reproduce asexually. They live in moderate environments.
Archaebacteria are unicellular prokaryotes that live in extreme environments such as volcanic vents, arctic temperatures, and hot springs. They
can be autotrophic or heterotrophic. They reproduce asexually.