Aquatic animalAn aquatic animal is any animal, whether vertebrate or invertebrate, that lives in a body of water for all or most of its lifetime.
ZooplanktonHeterotrophic protistan or metazoan members of the plankton ecosystem Zooplankton sample including several species of copepods (1–5), gastropodlarva (6) doliolids (7), fish eggs (8), and decapod larva (9) (Photo by Iole Di Capua)Zooplankton are the heterotrophic component of the planktonic community, having to consume other organisms to thrive.
Particle (ecology)In marine and freshwater ecology, a particle is a small object. Particles can remain in suspension in the ocean or freshwater. However, they eventually settle (rate determined by Stokes' law) and accumulate as sediment. Some can enter the atmosphere through wave action where they can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Many organisms filter particles out of the water with unique filtration mechanisms (filter feeders).FiltrationFiltration is a physical separation process that separates solid matter and fluid from a mixture using a filter medium that has a complex structure through which only the fluid can pass. Solid particles that cannot pass through the filter medium are described as oversize and the fluid that passes through is called the filtrate.
FoodSubstance consumed for nutritionDisplay of various foodsFood is any substance that is consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food usually consists of plant, animal, or fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells to provide energy, maintain life, encourage physical requirements, and support growth.
MicroalgaeMicroalgae or microphytes are microscopicalgae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column and sediment. They are unicellular species which exist individually, or in chains or groups. Depending on the species, their sizes can range from a few micrometers (μm) to a few hundred micrometers. Unlike higher plants, microalgae do not have roots, stems, or leaves.
BacteriaDomain of microorganismsSynonyms"Bacteria" (Cohn 1872) Cavalier-Smith 1983"Bacteria" Haeckel 1894"Bacteria" Cavalier-Smith 2002"Bacteriaceae" Cohn 1872a"Bacteriobionta" Möhn 1984"Bacteriophyta" Schussnig 1925"Eubacteria" Woese and Fox 1977"Neobacteria" Möhn 1984"Schizomycetaceae" de Toni and Trevisan 1889"Schizomycetes" Nägeli 1857Bacteria are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell.
Organic matterOrganic matter, organic material or natural organic matter (NOM) is the large source of carbon-based compounds found within natural and engineered, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. It is matter composed of organic compounds that have come from the feces and remains of organisms such as plants and animals. Organic molecules can also be made by chemical reactions that do not involve life.
Suspension (chemistry)In chemistry, a suspension is a heterogeneous mixture of a fluid that contains solidparticles sufficiently large for sedimentation. The particles may be visible to the naked eye, usually must be larger than one micrometer, and will eventually settle, although the mixture is only classified as a suspension when and while the particles have not settled out.
OrganismAn organism is any living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Several criteria, few of which are widely accepted, have been proposed to define what constitutes an organism. Among the most common is that an organism has autonomous reproduction, growth, and metabolism. This would exclude viruses, even though they evolve like organisms.
Organ (biology)In a multicellular organism, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a function. Tissues of different types combine to form an organ which has a specific function. The intestinal wall, for example, is formed by epithelial tissue and smooth muscle tissue.
EatingEating (also known as feeding or consuming) is the ingestion of food for digestion. In biology, this is typically done to provide heterotrophicorganisms with the essential nutrients and energy needed for metabolism and physical growth, since they are incapable of acquiring nutrition and energy intrinsically like autotrophs and therefore must ingest external organic matters in order to survive.
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