Biology Homework Part 3 

 
1.  
Biodiversity type:  Definition: 

Genetic biodiversity  -Total number of genetic characteristics 

in the genetic make-up of species 

Species diversity  -Measure of the diversity of different 

species in an ecological community 

Ecosystem diversity  -Variation of different ecosystems found 

in a region 
 
2. Natural selection is the process through which organisms that are better 
adapted to their environment will better be able to compete for resources and 
thus, survive and reproduce at rates greater than those that don’t have those 
beneficial adaptations. This will mean that those organisms with beneficial 
traits will, over many generations, continue to pass on their beneficial 
adaptations, leading to evolution of the species.  
 
3. Organic molecules, membranes, prokaryotic heterotrophs, prokaryotic 
autotrophs, eukaryotic cells, colonial organisms, multicellular organisms.  
 
4. When an organism isn’t exposed to very many selection pressures, lives in a 
relatively unchanging environment and / or doesn’t have to compete for 
resources, it doesn’t need to evolve, and thus, changes little over time. As the 
purpose of evolution is driven by selection pressures and competition for 
resources, when there are plentiful resources and few selection pressures, 
there is little need to adapt, as an organism has what it needs to survive 
already without needing to compete. An example of this is the platypus. As 
there aren’t many other aquatic mammals, the platypus hasn’t needed to 
adapt to compete with these species.