Handy Acronym!
M move
R reaction of chemicals
(metabolism)
S senses (reactions to
the environment)
G grow
R reproduce
E energy use
C cells
temperature
What is an organism?
• An organism is a
living thing.
• EX: prairie dog, redtailed hawk, grass
• Think of examples
from the The Lorax.
• What is the prairie
dog getting from its
environment?
What is a habitat?
• A habitat is part of the
environment that
provides the things,
(food, water, shelter,
etc.), an organism
needs to live, grow,
and reproduce.
• EX: prairie dog “town”
• Think of examples Could the prairie dog survive on a
from the The Lorax.
beach?
Organism Requirements…
• Organisms live in different habitats because
they have different requirements for survival.
• Can an area contain more than one habitat?
Coexisting Habitats…
• One area may contain
many habitats. For
example, in a forest,
mushrooms grow in
damp soil, salamanders
live on the forest floor,
and wood peckers build
nests in tree trunks.
• Think of examples from
the The Lorax.
What is a biotic factor?
• An organism interacts
with both the living
and nonliving parts of
its habitat.
• The living parts of a
habitat are called
biotic factors.
• Think of examples
from the The Lorax.
What is an abiotic factor?
• Abiotic factors are the
nonliving parts of an
organism’s habitat
(water, sunlight,
oxygen, temperature,
soil).
• Think of examples from
the The Lorax.
• Does this organism
live alone?
• No, he lives with
other prairie dogs.
• Ecologists have a
category for a group
of organisms.
What is a population?
• All the members of
one species in a
particular area.
• Think of examples
from the The Lorax.
Do the prairie dogs interact
with other organisms in this
habitat? Who?
What is a community?
• All the different populations that live together in an
area and interact in some way. Interact = depend on
each other for food, shelter, or for other needs.
Community or not?
What do ecologists call a community that lives in a certain area?
What is an ecosystem?
• The community of
organisms that live in a
particular area, along
with their nonliving
(abiotic) surroundings.
• What type of ecosystem
does the prairie dog
have?
• What abiotic factor
determines what
organisms live in an Community + Abiotic Factors =
area?
Ecosystem
What determines what type of
organisms that live in an area?
• Temperature and
the climate
• The climate is the
typical weather
pattern in an area
over a period of
time.
• Ecologists
categorize these
areas into groups
called…(p. 758)
What is a biome?
• Groups of land ecosystems with similar
temperatures and climates. EX: Grassland
•
Let’s consider the levels of science…
• Biosphere: the part of the earth, including air, land, surface
rocks, and water, within which life occurs
• Biome
• Ecosystem
• Community
• Population
• Organism
• Organ System: group of related organs (digestive system)
• Organ: group of tissues (heart)
• Tissue: group of biological cells that perform a similar function
(muscle tissue)
• Cell: basic unit of all living organisms
• Organelle: specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific
function
• Macromolecule: "large molecule“ (rubber, protein)
• Molecule: group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement
held together by strong chemical bonds (H2O)
• Atom: “the smallest indivisible particle of matter” (made up of
protons, neutrons, and electrons)(protons and neutrons are
made up of quarks)
At the bottom…
• At the bottom of your
notes, there is a graphic
organizer (circle within-acircle) illustrating the five
levels of ecology that we
will be talking about
today beginning with
“organism” at the center.
• Include simple drawings
and labels for what you
have drawn at each level.
Prairie dog