Biology Chapter 2

Question 1

Atmosphere?

Answer 1

layers of gas surrounding the earth. Made of mainly nitrogen and oxygen.

Question 2

Lithosphere?

Answer 2

Earth’s solid outer layer. Includes rock and minerals, ocean floor, and the rest of earth’s solid landscape.

Question 3

Hydrosphere?

Answer 3

All of earth’s water. Solid, liquid, and gas form.

Question 4

Biosphere?

Answer 4

The zone around earth where life can exist. Contains resources necessary for life. Ex. space, water, nutrients.

Question 5

The Gaia Hypothesis?

Answer 5

behaves like a living organism and is not widely accepted.

Question 6

Ecosystem?

Answer 6

A community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Question 7

Biotic Factor?

Answer 7

Living things within an ecosystem. Ex plants, animals, and bacteria.

Question 8

Abiotic Factor?

Answer 8

A nonliving part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment. Ex. sunlight, air, precipitation, soil.

Question 9

Major source of energy for a producer?

Answer 9

sunlight

Question 10

What is photosynthesis?

Answer 10

-Absorbs light energy and turns to chemical energy
-only occurs during day
-occurs in producers only

Question 11

What is cellular respiration?

Answer 11

-releases energy stored in chemical energy so organisms can use energy
-occurs day and night
-occurs in producers and consumers

Question 12

Photosynthesis equation?

Answer 12

Carbon dioxide + water ——————–> sugar + oxygen

Question 13

Cellular respiration equation?

Answer 13

sugar + oxygen —–> carbon dioxide + water + energy

Question 14

Food chain?

Answer 14

feeding relationships between species is presented using a food chain.
Ex - Pine cones —-> red squirrel ——> weasel —–> hawk

Question 15

food web?

Answer 15

consists of all food chains in an ecosystem

Question 16

is food chains or food webs more representative?

Answer 16

food webs

Question 17

Why is energy lost in a food chain?

Answer 17

Energy is lost in a food chain because all organisms continually lose and release energy to their environment . Energy is lost from all levels of the food chain. About 10 % of the energy passes to the next trophic level.

Question 18

Trophic levels in a food chain and examples?

Answer 18

1- Producers. Ex grass, pine cones.
2- Primary consumers (herbivores). Ex insects, mice.
3- secondary consumers (carnivores). Ex Foxes, snakes, dogs
4- tertiary consumers(carnivores). Ex sharks, hawks, lions

Question 19

Producer?

Answer 19

plants and algae that produce their own energy from the sun

Question 20

primary consumer?

Answer 20

animals that eat plants

Question 21

secondary consumer?

Answer 21

organisms that eat primary consumers

Question 22

tertiary consumer?

Answer 22

eats primary and secondary consumers.

Question 23

Scavenger?

Answer 23

an animal that feeds on there organisms. Ex bears, hyenas.

Question 24

The three types of pyramids?

Answer 24

Numbers - illustrates the relative numbers of organisms at each level
Biomass - illustrates the total mass of all individuals at each level
Energy - illustrates the amount of energy of organisms at each level

Question 25

The three cycles?

Answer 25

carbon, nitrogen, water

Question 26

carbon cycle?

Answer 26

the biogeochemical cycle in which carbon is cycled through the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere
Carbon moves between abiotic and biotic parts of the ecosystem.
Most of the exchange occurs between carbon dioxide and photosynthesizing plants.

Question 27

Nitrogen cycle?

Answer 27

the series of processes in which nitrogen compounds are moved through the abiotic and biotic environment
Most nitrogen is taken from the atmosphere by certain bacteria in a process called nitrogen fixation
Lightning and ultraviolet light also fix small amounts of nitrogen
Once in the soil ecosystem nitrogen can be passed up the food chain. A dead organism’s nitrogen rich compounds are taken by decomposers or released to the environment. Which are then recycled or converted back to nitrogen gas.

Question 28

Water cycle?

Answer 28

the series of processes that cycle water through the environment.
Water evaporates forming water vapor that moves through the atmosphere
The vapor eventually condenses forming liquid water or ice crystals and returns to earth as rain, hail, or snow.
The water may enter the soil or lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Water that’s taken by plant roots may be released from leaves in the process of transpiration.

Question 29

limiting factor?

Answer 29

a factor that restricts the size of a population

Question 30

Carrying capacity?

Answer 30

the number of individuals a region can support without environmental degradation.