Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Earth System- 29992 > Biosphere 1 > Flashcards

Biosphere 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is homeostasis?

A

Boundaries. The inside is different from what is outside
internal conditions have to be maintained

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the structure like in life?

A

highly organised (not necessarily complex)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is reproduction?

A

Makes copies. Some sort of information storage (e.g. DNA/RNA)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What stimuli does life respond to?

A

Growth
Metabolism
Adapt/evolve

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does growth do with materials?

A

uses outside materials which are incorporated into the organism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is polymerisation?

A

Joining together of smaller molecules to larger chain-like molecules (organic matter)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is crystallisation?

A

Packing of atoms or molecules in repeated patterns (inorganic matter)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What can organisms contain which is crystalline?

A

crystalline structures - bones and shells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What does polymerisation and crystallisation do with energy?

A

Polymerisation absorbs energy
Crystallisation releases energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is metabolism?

A

Chemical reaction(s) which an organism gets energy from

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is aerobic metabolism?

A

with oxygen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is anaerobic metabolism?

A

oxygen free

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What do autotrophs do with carbon?

A

fix it (store)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are 2 examples of autotrophs?

A

Photoautotrophs (photosynthesis)
Chemoautotrophs (Chemosynthesis)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What do heterotrophs do with carbon?

A

respire pre existing organic carbon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What do primary producers do?

A

convert energy and inorganic compounds into biomass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the 3 steps of primary production?

A

1- autotroph produces organic matter
2- Some OM used as fuel for meta and resp
3- store OM carbon compound for future

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the by-product of step 1 of primary production? (OM produced)

A

gross production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the name for the biomass leftover from step 3 of primary production?

A

Net production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is thermodynamics? (metabolism in earth system)

A

energy taken from the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Why cant the biosphere sustain itself indefinelty?

A

There are losses down the food chain as energy is lost via processes like heating and respiration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

A

energy is not created or destroyed, it only changes forms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the second law of thermodynamics?

A

he sum of the entropies of a system
and its surroundings must always increase (disorder always increasing)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is entropy?

A

measure of randomness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is Gibbs free energy?
the amount of energy left over after a chemical reaction has taken place
26
Why is Gibbs free energy used?
how energy of system changes from one state to another
27
How can life inhabit rocks?
being on, under or in
28
What are some examples of how life make rocks (minerals)?
Carbonates (calcite) Sulfides (pyrite) Metal oxides (magnetite) Silicates (diatoms) Phosphates (teeth, bones)
29
What are the 3 domains for the hierarchy of life?
Bacteria Archaea Eukarya
30
What are the characteristics of prokaryotes?
No nucleus
31
What are the characteristics of eukaryotes?
membrane bound to nucleus (many organelles) May be multicellular
32
What are some examples of Eukarya?
plants animals fungi protists
33
What are some examples of prokaryotes?
Bacteria Archaea
34
What is the Linnaean system of taxonomic classification?
Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
35
What multiple species concepts are there?
Biological Phylogenetic Morphological
36
What is the biological multiple species concept?
reproductive isolation/ no successful breeding
37
What are the cons of biological multiple species concept?
Only really makes sense for sexual reproduction Anthropogenic disturbance
38
What is the phylogenetic concept of multiple species?
accruing enough genetic distance
39
What is the morphological multiple species concept?
Apperance
40
What are the cons of the morphological multiple species concept?
Cryptic species (genetic and behavioural differences
41
What is abiogenesis?
making living organisms from non-living matter
42
What does abiogenesis require?
Requires lots of steps, each increasing the organisation/complexity of the system, but with countless failures
43
What did organic molecules originally have to be synthesised from?
earths earths chemical ingredients
44
What are some of the most vital elements found in abundance on earths surface?
H, C, O, N, P, S
45
What formed from the vital elements for life?
monomers- i.e. amino acids
46
What are amino acids the building block for?
Polymers- more complex organic molecules
47
Who did the primordial soup experiment?
Miller-Urey
48
What was the point of the primordial soup experiment?
to produce amino acids from the vital life elements using gas and an energy spark
49
What will happens to amino acids monomers at high concentrations?
polymerise (form DNA and RNA)
50
How can polymerised amino acids be formed in the lab?
heating, evaporating, and concentrating an amino-acid-bearing solution
51
What happens to artificial polymers if left in water?
will dilute as need a cell
52
What happens when you agitate the artificial polymers?
will clump and make microspheres
53
What are microspheres like?
crude delicate cell membrane not robust
54
What is the black smoker hypothesis?
Hydrothermal fluids have vital elements Hydrothermal vent provide heat Make monomers Evapo not possible for polymers but maybe on clay mineral surface
55
What is Panspermia?
organic molecules may have arrived from some part of the solar system or even the galaxy beyond the solar system
56
What is LUCA?
Last Universal Common Ancestor
57
What was first life more likely to be prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
Prokaryotic - archaea
58
Why is archaea likely to have been first life?
most are extremophiles (tolerate temp, salinity and acid)
59
Why is it hard to show archaea as early life?
no direct archaea fossils from Precambrian
60
How can stromatolites be used for evidence of early earth life?
3.5 Ga layered, domed Macrofossil constructed by photosynthetic cyanobacteria
61
How can graphite in Isua greenstone be evidence of early earth life?
graphite layers in 3.8 Ga isua greenstone enriched in C12 Potentially biogenic
62
When did eukaryotes form from prokaryotes?
1.4 Ga
63
What do eukaryotes require?
oxygen
64
What was the reason for eukaryote rise?
sufficient molecular oxygen (toxic by product of photosynthesis)
64
What is the first animal on earth thought to be?
sponge (evidence= sponge biomarkers)
65
Why are sponges thought to be one of first animals?
can build up from cell level due to adhesive joining due to collagen
66
What are some earth biosphere milestones?
Life origin Photosynthesis origin Multicellularity Base Cambrian - Treptichnus pedum (burrow trace fossil) Life on land - Devonian Mineralising plankton- Mesozoic
67
What was needed by first plant life on land which formed in the Devonian?
Structural support Internal aquatic environment plus plumbing Gas exchange mechanism Moist reproductive environment
68
What does evolution by natural selection act on?
individuals
69
What does adaptation act on?
only on a population over generations not individuals
70
What is the end result of evolution/ adaptation?
Speciation
71
What are the 2 types of speciation?
Allopatric Sympatric
72
What is sympatric speciation?
reproductive isolation without geographic barrier
72
What is allopatric speciation?
results from geographic barrier
73
What is epigenetics?
How DNA interacts with multitude smaller molecules in cells activate and deactivate genes
74
What can epigenetics do to transcription of specific genes?
Boost or interfere
75
How do epigenetics interfere with gene transcription?
DNA coiled tighter making it inaccessible essentially muting it

Earth System- 29992 (24 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions