Classification System
Taxonomy:
Taxonomy is the laws and principles covering the classification of organisms. Carolus Linnaeus, the "father" of taxonomy, came up with a binomial naming system using the genus and species names. This binomial system is referred to as the "scientific name". Organisms are classified on their evolutionary history. This means that closely related organisms will have the same genus name but a different species name.
Taxonomy is the laws and principles covering the classification of organisms. Carolus Linnaeus, the "father" of taxonomy, came up with a binomial naming system using the genus and species names. This binomial system is referred to as the "scientific name". Organisms are classified on their evolutionary history. This means that closely related organisms will have the same genus name but a different species name.
Life in Marine
What does it mean to be alive?
In order for something to be considered "living" it must:
In order for something to be considered "living" it must:
- be made of at least one cell
- reproduce (asexually or sexually)
- contain either DNA or RNA
- grow and develop
- obtain and use energy
~may be obtained 3 ways: Photosynthesis, Chemosynthesis (both autotrophs) or by eating other organisms (heterotrophs)
- respond to the environment
- Change over time (evolve, as a group)
Factors that affect marine life:
Physical and Biological Factors (watch video): Limiting Factors: based on physical and biological factors; when, in inappropriate amount (usually too low), it limits the normal functioning of an organism |
Phys/Bio SHOWME
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Energy Transfer
Remember from Biology that primary producers are the base of the food pyramid/web with a loss of energy as you go up. Marine primary producers are more efficient that terrestrial (land-based) primary producers. The arrows point to the organisms that is doing the eating/gaining energy. The predators only gain about 10% of the energy from the food source. A typical marine food web starts with the primary producers which get their food by converting sunlight or chemicals into food (autotrophs like seaweed, diatoms, dinoflagellates). Next, you have your primary consumers which are herbivores (shrimps, copepods). Next, comes your secondary consumers that are carnivorous (small fish, jellyfish, crustaceans, sea stars). The web continues with tertiary consumers (bigger fish, small sharks, squid). Last is the top of the food web, the quaternary consumers (large sharks, dolphins, large sea birds). The images to the right do not take into account decomposers that will that will eat any dead organism from any of the levels. |
When we look at food webs/chains, it is necessary to discuss pollutants and the effect on the food web. Bioaccumulation is how a pollutant enters a food chain--essentially the uptake of a chemical either by food or water. Biomagnification is the result of bioaccumulation and is the increase in concentration of the pollutant as you move up in the food chain.
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