Organisms and Abiotic Factors

Introduction

An organism can be defined as a living thing with a specified cell structure that performs special vital metabolic activities to keep growing. These organised structures can react to external stimuli, have the power to reproduce, and even adapt to different surroundings. An organism could be anything such as animal, plants, bacteria, protozoa, and more. 

Abiotic factors or the abiotic components are something that is a non-living organism. On the other hand, it directly influences the environment and also fellow living organisms. Abiotic Factors influence the entire biology to a huge extent. 

The Abiotic Factors

• Every environmental resource is consumed by different living beings or unavailable to organisms after being used by others
• Hydrolysis and such special physical processes are moreover used naturally to degrade components in all chemicals and various minerals
• All non-living organisms, including atmospheric conditions and special water supplies, depend on abiotic changes
• Certain abiotic factors can cause ecosystem changes depending on numerous ecosystems and their types. In environments such as deserts and sand are very important abiotic components, and on the other hand, rainfall is related to the abiotic component in the ecosystem of tropical forests
• Abiotic constituents of the aquatic ecosystem might include pressure and sound waves; on the other hand, elements such as clarity of the water, aerial quality, and water tides play a beneficial role
• Numerous ecosystems’ biotic constituents adapt to the abiotic factors of the specific ecosystem. For example, Archaea living in hard and unfavourable habitats rely on abiotic components for survival and growth
• Abiotic factors have a great impact on the changing ecosystem concerning living organisms. Only organisms capable of tolerating such abiotic factors will inhabit these habitats, depending on aptitude. These factors might ultimately change the ecological condition of a few specific ecosystems. For example, a lack of a tropical habitat can be converted into a deserted ecosystem. These factors help determine the difference between biotic and abiotic

Examples of Abiotic Factors

Pollutants and Toxins

• All kinds of toxins and pollutants are harmful to the biological components of the ecosystem
• These poisons affect the metabolic processes as well as tissues of various living species. Hence, numerous disorders may surface
• Meanwhile, they also influence the climate, which further impacts abiotic elements like humidity and rainfall

Temperature

• Temperature is the main abiotic component that impacts the metabolic reaction rates and impacts the survival of a range of biotic organisms
• The rate of enzyme-catalysed reactions increases as the temperature rises. Hence, this will work up to a specific point only
• Enzymes might get denatured or degraded as there is a temperature rise. Important enzymes’ denaturation stops several chemical processes, which will affect the lives of numerous living beings
• Hence, temperature variation will affect different types of creatures that were earlier surviving in the given environment

Light availability

• The availability of sunlight is another important abiotic element that determines the rate of photosynthesis in plants and animal breeding cycles
• Water cycles, rainfalls, and other environmental elements also influence light availability
• When animals are deprived of oxygen for significant periods, their food production suffers
•  Light intensity, light direction and light quality control a number of processes of organisms such as photosynthesis, growth, movements, photoperiodism etc.

 The different zones of light in a aquatic habitat are-

•   Littoral zone : shallow coastal regions producers occur throughout
•   Limnetic zone : open water zone; oxygen and light decreases with depth
•  Photic zone : light can penetrate
• Aphotic zone : light does not penetrate
•  Benthic zone : bottom zone

Soil

• Soil is the upper weathered part of earth’s surface having mineral particles (45%), water (25%), air (25%), living organisms and humus (5%) which can sustain terrestrial plant life
•  A fully formed soil shows different layers called horizons
•   Horizon ‘O’ : It is the uppermost horizon made of organic matter. It has both fresh non-decomposed as well as partially decomposed matter
•  Horizon ‘A’ : It is rich in mineral elements. A large amount of completely decomposed organic matter is present in this region
•  Horizon ‘B’ : It is dark in colour due to accumulation of leached substances like clay, iron and aluminium from the horizon. So it is called a zone of accumulation or zone of illuviation
•  Horizon ‘C’ : It consists of partially weathered parent rock material. It is called subsoil
•  Horizon ‘R’ : It is the lowest layer of soil which consists of bed rocks (unweather)

Carbon dioxide     

• Carbon Dioxide is also an essential abiotic factor
• Plants use carbon dioxide to metabolise their food with various complicated processes
• Photosynthesis is incomplete without the gas
• One must understand that humans need oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide. The plants or the producers, on the other hand, need just the opposite

Water

• Water is the main source of oxygen on the planet. It is also required for most of the metabolic processes
• The human body is more than 90 percent of water, and hence this liquid becomes an essential abiotic factor for us

Biotic Factors

• Biotic factors are basically living organisms
• The term organism defines the biotic section and is made up of organic matter 
• They can range from single-cell organisms to complex multicellular organisms
• Living organisms possess the ability to reproduce and replicate. Living organisms such as unicellular organisms can divide by themselves 
• Organisms also can maintain their homeostasis. This is the ability of these organisms to regulate their internal environment and temperature to maintain a constant temperature. This property helps the living organisms to sustain their surroundings and regulate accordingly
• It also has special metabolic activities that can help in keeping up with the regular pace of the living environment
• Biotic resources could be classified under producers, consumers, and decomposers

Conclusion

An organism can be defined as a living thing with a specified cell structure that performs special vital metabolic activities to keep growing. These organised structures can react to external stimuli, have the power to reproduce, and even adapt to different surroundings. An organism could be anything such as animal, plants, bacteria, protozoa, and more. 

Abiotic factors or the abiotic components are something that is a non-living organism.