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Biology 20 IB > A2 (Half assed) > Flashcards

A2 (Half assed) Flashcards

1
Q

Biogeochemical Cycles

A

Complex cyclical transfer of nutriets from the environment to organisms and back to the environment

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2
Q

Hydrological Cycle

A

The circular movement of water from the ocean reservoir to the air (cloud), back to the Earth in the form of rain, snow, and finally back to the ocean reservoir via streams and estuaries

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3
Q

Evaporation

A

Liquid to vapor

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4
Q

Condensation

A

Water vapor to liquid

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5
Q

Transpiration

A

Water vapor loss in plant (cooling when hot)

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6
Q

Precipitation

A

Rain / Snow / Sleet / Hail falls to the ground

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7
Q

Runoff

A

More water than land can absorb runs into creek / streams / ponds

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8
Q

Percolation

A

Rain water seeps into soil and filters down

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9
Q

What “powers” the water cycle

A

Solar energy and gravity

  • Solar energy causes water to evaporate from the soil, plants, ocean, lakes, streams
  • Warm air rises and lifts the water into the atmosphere, where it forms clouds
  • Gravity pulls it down again as rain and snow
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10
Q

Oxygen Cycle

A

The oxygen cycle is closely related to the carbon cycle as they are linked by both photosyntehsis and cellular respiration

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11
Q

Evidence of an oxygen rich atmosphere

Stromatolites

A

Dome-shaped rocks composed of thin layers of sediment pressed tightly together.

Formed by photosynthetic cyanobacteria

Cross sections show red-iron bands help reveal what the composition of the ancient atmosphere was like

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12
Q

Evidence of an oxygen rich atmosphere

Banded Iron Formations

A

Thought to have as oxygen produced by cyanobacteria reacted with dissolved iron in the oceans and precipitated out, forming a thin layer on the ocean floor

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13
Q

Nitrogen Cycle

A
  1. Bacteria convert N (gas) —> Ammonia via nitrogen fixation
  2. Ammonia –> Nitrates to be used by plants
  3. Animals can obtain nitrogen by eating plants
  4. Excess nitrates in soil –> N (gas) by bacteria (denitrification)

The movement of nitrogen through ecosystems, the soil and the atmosphere

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14
Q

Nitrogen Fixation

A

Nitrogen –> Ammonium

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15
Q

Nitrification

A

Ammonium –> Nitrites by bacteria

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16
Q

Assimilation

A

PLants absorb nitrates into roots

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17
Q

Consumption

A

Organisms eat plants

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18
Q

Ammonification

A

Organisms excrete wastes/dies

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19
Q

Denitrification

A

Nitrate (NO3) —> Nitrogen (N2) back into the atmosphere

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20
Q

N-fixing bacteria

A

Convert nitrogen to ammonium for plants and plants provide bacteria with sugars produced via photosynthesis

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21
Q

Phosphorus

A

Key element in ceell membranes, energy releasing molecules, DNA and in calcium phosphate of bones

22
Q

Phosphorus Cycle

A
  • Water gradually releases phosphorus in trapped rocks
  • PLants can only use in the form of phosphates (dissolved in water)
  • Can be absorbed by phtoosynthesis organisms and enter into food chains
  • Can be eroded from rock and carried by water from land to rivers and then to oceans; absorbed by algae (then food chains)
  • Organic waste recycled by decomposeres who release phosphates
23
Q

Carbon

A

The key element o fall organisms from bacteria to humans

- It forms the backbone of many molecules from DNA to proteins to sugars

24
Q

Where do autotrophs absorb carbon from?

IB

A

The atmosphere

  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Carbon containing compounds

Convert it to:

25
Q

Autotrophs ____ the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere

26
Q

True or False: Carbon Dioxide is water soluble

IB

A
  • It can remain as a dissolved gas in water
  • It can combine with water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3)
27
Q

Carbonic acid can dissociate to form ____ and _____ ____

IB

A

Hydrogen and Hydrogen Carbonate

This lowers the pH of the water

28
Q

Who uses carbonic acid and carbon dioxide

IB

A

Aquatic plants and autotrophs

29
Q

Autotrophs use carbon dioxide to produce ____ compounds by photosynthesis (or chemosysntehsis)

IB

A

Carbon

Reduces concentration of CO2 inside autotrophs

Carbon Dioxide diffuses into Autotrophs

30
Q

Carbon moves between organisms and the atmisohere as a result of both ____ and ____ ____

IB

A

Photosynthesis, cellular respiration

31
Q

Photosynthesis removes ____ from the atmosphere

IB

A

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

32
Q

Cellular respiration by primary consumers and consumers, including decomposers returns ____ to the atmosphere

IB

A

Carbon in the form of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

33
Q

Any cell that uses aerobic cellular respiration produces ___ ____

IB

A

Carbon Dioxide

  • Non-Photosynthetic Cells (roots in plants)
  • Animal Cells
  • Saprotrophs such as fungi
34
Q

Methanogensis

IB

A

Carbon dioxide is a product of aerobic respiration; Methane is the result of anaerobic respiration

35
Q

Oxidiation of Methane (Formula)

A

CH4 + 2 O2 ➡ 2 H2O + CO2

Naturally oxidzed in the stratosphere

36
Q

Saprotrophs typically digest dead ____ and other _____ _____

IB

A

Leaves, Organic Matter

37
Q

Saprotrophs obtain oxygen from

IB

A

Air spaces in soil

38
Q

Peat

A

Dark brown acidic material that covoers 3% of land surface

  • Some environments are waterlogged and therefore use anaerobic respiration ➡ Causes acidic conditions to develop
  • Saprotrophs cannot survive in acidic conditions or without oxygen readily availible so matter is not fully decomposed
39
Q

Peat becomes ____ (How)

A

Coal

Peat is under sediment layers; heat and pressure remove moisturue

40
Q

Oil and natural form in ____ below seas and lakes

IB

41
Q

Organisms have hard body parts made of ____ ____

IB

A

Calcium Carbonate

- Mollusc Shells
- Hard corals nuild reefs by secreting CaCO3

42
Q

Limestone is a result of ____ ____ that is deposited by precipitation in the water

A

Calcium carbonate

43
Q

Two most significant gasses

IB

A

Carbon Dioxide:
- Released by cellular respiration and combustion of biomass and fossil fuels
- Removed via photosynthesis

Water Vapor:
- Formed by evaporation from oceans and transpiration in plants
- Removed by rainfall/snow or other forms of precipitation

44
Q

Less impactful greenhouse gases

IB

A

Methane:
- Third most significant
- Emitted from marshes, waterlogged habitats, landfills with organic wastes; released during extraction of fossil fuels and melting ice

Nitrous Oxide:
- Released naturally by bacteria, also released by agriculture and vehicle exhausts

45
Q

A greenhouse gas effect depends on

IB

A
  • Ability to absorb long-wave radiation (the more it absorbs, the larger the effect)
  • Concentration in the atmosphere (rate that it is released + how long it remains there)
46
Q

Earth absorbs ____-____ energy and then remits it at ____ ____

IB

A

Short-wave, longer wavelenghts

47
Q

____-____ radiation is re-emitted towards Earth which ____ the Earth

IB

A

Longer-wave, warms

48
Q

True or False: Greenhouse gases can absorb energy at all wavelenghts

IB

A

False:
Greenhouse gases can only absorb energy in specific wavelenghts

49
Q

Impact of chaning concentration of greenhouse gases

IB

A

Dynamic equillibrium is changed and thus the size of its contribution

This could cause global temperatures to rise or fall

50
Q

Milankovitch Cycles

IB

A

Periodic changes in the orbital characteristics of a planet that control how much sunlight it recieves

Eccentricity (Kepler’s First Law - Physics 20)

51
Q

Factors contributing to Earth warming (except GHG’s)

IB

A
  1. Milankovich cycles in the Earth’s orbit
  2. Variation in sunspot activity

However, it can also change factors other than climate:
- Increased temp = increased evaporation
- Increased extreme weather conditions (tropical storms)
- Changes to circulating ocean currents

52
Q

At night if the sky is clear, temperatues will ____ quicker than if cloud cover was present

IB

A

Fall

This is because of water vapor

Biology 20 IB (10 decks)

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