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AQA A-level Biology Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems A* Notes

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Want to achieve top grades in AQA A-level Biology? These notes helped me secure an A*,and they can do the same for you! They’re designed to make revision straightforward by breaking down challenging AQA topics into clear concise and example focused explanations. These evolution and ecosystems notes include key processes and descriptions that match AQA mark schemes. Plus, they are aesthetically designed with clean layouts, colour coding, and visual diagrams to make revisions more engaging and easier to memorise.

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Genetics
Populations
Evolutions
\
Ecosystems

,Key Terms

ECOSYSTEM: Group of interrelated organisms and their physical environment in a particular area
E.g: Sahara dessert


POPULATION: All the organisms of one species living in a particular habitat at the same time
E.g: all oak trees in wood

COMMUNITY: all the populations of all species that live together in a particular ecosystem/habitat
at the same time
E.g: org living in rock pool

·
ABIOTIC FACTORS: non-living condition that affects

E.g: salt conc of rock pool, pH , temp, 02 conc, CO2 conc

BIOTIC FACTORS: Effects of the activities of living organisms on other organisms
E.g: effect of snails grazing on pondweed

AUTOTROPHS: An organism that makes its own food
• photosynthesising org
• Start of food chain
• Plants , algae

HETEROTROPHS: Organisms that obtain food by consuming other organisms

,HERBIVORES: Organisms that eat only plants

OMNIVORES: Organisms that eat both plants and other organisms

CARNIVORES: Organisms that only eat meat

PRIMARY CONSUMERS: Organisms that consume producers

SECONDARY CONSUMERS: organisms that consume primary consumers

TERTIARY ORGANISMS: organisms that consume secondary consumers

DECOMPOSERS: Organisms that break down the dead matter


Biomes
• largest subunits of biosphere

• in each biome diff ecosystems
• Contain dynamic , self-sustaining, stable community of org
• Interact w each other + non-living surroundings

• contain several habitats
• environment = organism's total surroundings, including living dead and non-living components

Population Size
• Ecosystems carrying capacity = size of pop of a species it can support
Pop size can vary bc of:
1. Effect of abiotic factors
2. Interactions betw organisms (comp + predation)

* Abiotic factors aff survival + reproductive success

, Effe of Abiotic Faors
Temperature

• affect enzyme controlled reactions
• Denature key enzymes + proteins
• E.g: ATP synthase - ATP not produced

Lights

• less light - dec rate of photosynthesis
• Producer pop dec
• Aff size of all consumers (pop)

pH

• aquatic organisms
• Enxyme activity - in producers

Water + Humidity

• metabolite
• Solvent
• Reactions limited - photosynthesis , condensation , hydrolysis

Competition
• living in same area need to survive from res in that area
• If res limited - comp betw these species

1. INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION
• comp betw members of same species
• limits growth of population
• Led to special forms of beh : ritualised fighting + territorial behaviour
2. INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION
• comp betw 2 dif species for limited resource
• Expl changes in pop size, extinction + evol of species ·




* compete over food sources + habitats
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