ecosystems lesson 3

Organisms and Species

Ecosystems

ORGANISMS

An organism is any living thing—plant or animal.

SPECIES

A species is a group of very similar organisms that can reproduce.

For example;

A fish is NOT a species, but an Atlantic Salmon IS a species.

How many species and how many organisms?

How many species and organisms?

Two types of Organisms

Macro-organisms

These are organisms that you can see with your naked eye.

Two types of Organisms

Micro-organisms

These are organisms that are too small to see with your naked eye.

LAB RULES

Tomorrow we will be looking for micro-organisms

We will be counting organisms and species.

LAB RULES

Listen to ALL instructions carefully

Handle equipment with care

No joking around or fooling around

Be respectful (to everyone)

Cyclops is a copepod

These tiny crustaceans make up most of the protein in the ocean.

Daphnia- “water flea”

•Tiny crustacean•Eats algae•Swims in quick, “jerking” movements.•Not a real flea

Seed Shrimp--Cypris

•Body is between two shells that can open (like a seed)• 7 pairs of “legs”: (swim, walk, feeding)•Poor swimmers (only some “legs” used to swim and shell is heavy). Often sink to the bottom•Filter feeders (bacteria, algae…)

Water Mite

•Small and usually red, related to spiders.•Predators that feed on blood. •Females have egg sacs on their back and appear “swollen”

Roundworms

•May be as many as one million different species of roundworms!•Possibly the most numerous animal on earth!

Paramecium

•Unicellular Protist•Eats bacteria•Has cilia for movement and feeding.

Caddisfly larvae

Pond Snail