Biodiversity

Author And Page Information

• by Anup Shah
• This Page Last Updated Sunday, January 19, 2014

• This page:http://www.globalissues.org/issue/169/biodiversity.
• To print all information e.g. expanded side notes, shows alternative links, use the print version:
  • http://www.globalissues.org/print/issue/169

The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth. Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

Biodiversity is different species of resources or tings 

Rates of Reaction

Endothermic Reactions - a chemical reaction that requires heat
Exothermic Reaction - a chemical reaction in which heat is released to the surroundings
Rates of Reactions - a measure of how fast a reaction takes place
Activation Energy - the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical  reaction

The five factors that can affect the rates of reactions:
.  Temperature
.  Concentration
.  Surface Area
.  Inhibitors
.  Catalysts

All of the factors affect the rate of the reaction some make the particles move faster, and some makes it move slower, or stop.

Definitions and Examples

Definitions

Biodiversity- the number and variety of organisms in a given area during a specific period of time.

Environmental Degradation- is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources

Assistive Bioengineering- engineering the results in a product or process that helps living organisms but does not change them permenently

Adaptive Bioengineering- engineering the results in a product or process that changes living organisms


Examples

Biodiversity- blue whales, white-tailed deer, white pine trees, sunflowers and microscopic bacteria

Environmental Degradation- air, water and soil

Assistive Bioengineering- hearing aids, eye glasses, prosthetic limbs,

Adaptive Bioengineering- cochlear implants, insulin pumps,

Designed experiment

What is the effect of the density of different mediums (e.g., air and glass) on the speed at which light travels?

Independent variable: Density of different mediums

Dependent variable: Speed at which light travels