Table of Contents
- 1 How do multicellular organisms overcome limitations of diffusion?
- 2 What limitations does diffusion pose to organisms?
- 3 How do multicellular organisms ensure that there is efficient movement of substances?
- 4 Why do unicellular organisms do not need a transport system?
- 5 How are quadrat divisions used to estimate the size of an organism?
- 6 How many insect species have yet to be identified?
How do multicellular organisms overcome limitations of diffusion?
To overcome the limitations of diffusion, multicellular organisms have developed specialized tissues and systems that are responsible for completing a limited number of nutrient and waste tasks.
What limitations does diffusion pose to organisms?
Once an organism is beyond a certain size, it cannot get essential molecules into and out of cells solely by diffusion. Diffusion is limited by the surface area to volume ratio of the organism.
How can you determine if two organisms are from the same species?
According to the biological species concept, organisms belong to the same species if they can interbreed to produce viable, fertile offspring. Species are separated from one another by prezygotic and postzygotic barriers, which prevent mating or the production of viable, fertile offspring.
How have plants and animals adapted to overcome the limitations of diffusion?
Plants and animals get around the size limits imposed by diffusion by actively pumping nutrients and other molecules to all parts of the organism through bulk flow.
How do multicellular organisms ensure that there is efficient movement of substances?
Large multicellular organisms therefore cannot rely on diffusion alone to supply their cells with substances such as food and oxygen and to remove waste products. So the larger SA/V ratio of the smaller box would allow more efficient diffusion and exchange of materials.
Why do unicellular organisms do not need a transport system?
A unicellular organism has no need for a transport system. The resources it needs to survive can just be transported through the cell membrane, and the waste materials likewise. Think of a cell deep inside one of your tissues though.
What are two organisms in the same species?
Two organisms can be considered to belong to the same species when they can interbreed that is they can breed with one another and produce fertile offsprings or progenies. Organisms of the same species also share common characters and show similarities in their genetic material.
What happens to the number of organisms at each level of the pyramid starting from the base?
What happens to the number of organisms present in each trophic level as you go up the pyramid? The pyramid of energy shows that the variety and number of species decreases as you move to higher trophic levels. This is also assuming that the organisms of the higher trophic level only eat the one organism.
How are quadrat divisions used to estimate the size of an organism?
The quadrat divisions can also be used to estimate what is in each of the smaller squares (e.g. 12 squares species A, 5 squares species B, 0.5 squares species C, etc.). Organisms that take up very little area can be recorded as <1% or <0.5 squares.
How many insect species have yet to be identified?
An estimated nine million insect species have yet to be identified. A tiny fraction of insect species is shown in the beetle collection in Figure 1. As diverse as insects are, there may be even more species of bacteria, another major group of organisms. Clearly, there is a need to organize the tremendous diversity of life.
Why are organisms placed in different groups in a phylogenetic tree?
At each branch point, organisms with different characters are placed in different groups based on the characteristics they share. Another aspect of phylogenetic trees is that, unless otherwise indicated, the branches do not account for length of time, only the evolutionary order.
How are transects and quadrats used in ecology?
Transects and quadrats are two ecological tools that allow us to quantify the relative abundance of organisms in an area. To track changes over time, it is important to be able to quantify changes in abundance.