Ch 3 Vocab Assignmnet

Question 1

Define ‘System’

Answer 1

A set of interacting components that function together as a whole

Systems can be classified into open and closed systems based on their interactions with the environment.

Question 2

Define ‘Open system’

Answer 2

A system that exchanges both energy and matter with its surroundings

Examples include ecosystems where organisms interact with their environment.

Question 3

Define ‘Close system’

Answer 3

A system that exchanges only energy but not matter with its surroundings

A closed jar with a lid can be considered a close system.

Question 4

Define ‘Throughput’

Answer 4

The flow of energy and matter into, through, and out of a system

Throughput is crucial for understanding how systems operate.

Question 5

Define ‘Equilibrium’

Answer 5

A state of balance in a system where inputs and outputs are equal

Equilibrium can be dynamic, involving continuous processes that maintain balance.

Question 6

Define ‘Positive Feedback loop’

Answer 6

A process where an initial change leads to further changes in the same direction

An example is the melting of ice, which reduces reflectivity and increases warming.

Question 7

Define ‘Negative Feedback Loop’

Answer 7

A process that counteracts a change, leading to stability in a system

An example is the regulation of body temperature in humans.

Question 8

Define ‘Matter’

Answer 8

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Matter exists in various forms including solid, liquid, and gas.

Question 9

Define ‘Conservation of matter’

Answer 9

The principle stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed

This principle is fundamental in chemistry and physics.

Question 10

Define ‘Element’

Answer 10

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means

Elements are organized in the periodic table.

Question 11

Define ‘Atom’

Answer 11

The smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element

Atoms consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Question 12

Define ‘Atomic number’

Answer 12

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element’s identity

The atomic number also defines the position of an element in the periodic table.

Question 13

Define ‘Isotope’

Answer 13

Variants of an element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

Isotopes can be stable or radioactive.

Question 14

Define ‘Compound’

Answer 14

A substance formed when two or more elements chemically bond together

Compounds have different properties than the individual elements that compose them.

Question 15

Define ‘Molecule’

Answer 15

The smallest unit of a compound that retains its chemical properties

Molecules can consist of two or more atoms bonded together.

Question 16

Define ‘Acid’

Answer 16

A substance that donates protons (H⁺ ions) in solution

Acids typically have a pH less than 7.

Question 17

Define ‘Base’

Answer 17

A substance that accepts protons or donates hydroxide ions (OH⁻) in solution

Bases typically have a pH greater than 7.

Question 18

Define ‘pH’

Answer 18

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, ranging from 0 to 14

A pH of 7 is considered neutral.

Question 19

Define ‘Organic compound’

Answer 19

A compound that contains carbon and is typically associated with living organisms

Organic compounds include carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Question 20

Define ‘Deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA)’

Answer 20

A molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life

DNA is composed of nucleotides and has a double-helix structure.

Question 21

Define ‘Cell’

Answer 21

The basic structural and functional unit of life

Cells can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic.

Question 22

Define ‘Energy’

Answer 22

The capacity to do work or produce change

Energy exists in various forms, including kinetic, potential, chemical, and thermal.

Question 23

Define ‘Kinetic energy’

Answer 23

The energy of motion

Kinetic energy is dependent on the mass and velocity of an object.

Question 24

Define ‘Potential energy’

Answer 24

Stored energy based on an object’s position or state

An example is gravitational potential energy.

Question 25

Define 'Chemical energy'

Answer 25

The energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds ## Footnote Chemical energy is released or absorbed during chemical reactions.

Question 26

Define 'Heat'

Answer 26

The energy transferred between objects due to a temperature difference ## Footnote Heat flows from warmer to cooler objects.

Question 27

Define 'First law of thermodynamics'

Answer 27

The principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed ## Footnote This is also known as the law of conservation of energy.

Question 28

Define 'Second law of thermodynamics'

Answer 28

The principle stating that entropy in an isolated system will always increase over time ## Footnote This law explains the direction of energy transfers and transformations.

Question 29

Define 'Entropy'

Answer 29

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system ## Footnote Higher entropy indicates greater disorder.

Question 30

Define 'Primary producer'

Answer 30

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis ## Footnote Examples include plants and certain bacteria.

Question 31

Define 'Chemosynthesis'

Answer 31

The process by which certain organisms convert inorganic compounds into organic matter using chemical energy ## Footnote This process is used by some bacteria in extreme environments.

Question 32

Define 'Photosynthesis'

Answer 32

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water ## Footnote Photosynthesis produces oxygen as a byproduct.

Question 33

Define 'Cell respiration'

Answer 33

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water ## Footnote This process is essential for the survival of aerobic organisms.

Question 34

Define 'Species'

Answer 34

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring ## Footnote Species are the basic units of biological classification.

Question 35

Define 'Population'

Answer 35

A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area at the same time ## Footnote Populations are studied in ecology to understand dynamics and interactions.

Question 36

Define 'Biological community'

Answer 36

All the interacting populations of different species that live in a specific area ## Footnote Communities can vary in size and complexity.

Question 37

Define 'Ecosystem'

Answer 37

A biological community and its physical environment interacting as a system ## Footnote Ecosystems include both biotic and abiotic components.

Question 38

Define 'Produce'

Answer 38

To create or manufacture goods or services ## Footnote In ecological terms, it refers to primary producers that generate energy.

Question 39

Define 'Productivity'

Answer 39

The rate at which energy is converted to organic matter by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis ## Footnote Productivity is a key factor in ecosystem health.

Question 40

Define 'Biomass'

Answer 40

The total mass of living matter within a given unit area ## Footnote Biomass can be measured in terms of dry weight.

Question 41

Define 'Food web'

Answer 41

A complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem ## Footnote Food webs illustrate how energy and nutrients flow through ecosystems.

Question 42

Define 'Trophic level'

Answer 42

The position an organism occupies in a food web, based on its feeding relationships ## Footnote Trophic levels include producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, etc.

Question 43

Define 'Consumer'

Answer 43

An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms ## Footnote Consumers can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.

Question 44

Define 'Herbivore'

Answer 44

A consumer that primarily eats plants ## Footnote Examples include deer, rabbits, and many insects.

Question 45

Define 'Carnivore'

Answer 45

A consumer that primarily eats other animals ## Footnote Examples include lions, sharks, and eagles.

Question 46

Define 'Omnivore'

Answer 46

A consumer that eats both plants and animals ## Footnote Humans, bears, and pigs are examples of omnivores.

Question 47

Define 'Scavenger'

Answer 47

An organism that feeds on dead or decaying matter ## Footnote Scavengers play an important role in ecosystems by recycling nutrients.

Question 48

Define 'Decomposer'

Answer 48

An organism that breaks down organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil ## Footnote Fungi and bacteria are primary decomposers.

Question 49

Define 'Detritivore'

Answer 49

An organism that feeds on detritus, or dead organic matter ## Footnote Earthworms and some insects are examples of detritivores.

Question 50

Define 'Carbon cycle'

Answer 50

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment ## Footnote The carbon cycle includes photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition.

Question 51

Define 'Nitrogen cycle'

Answer 51

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms ## Footnote The nitrogen cycle includes nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.