ch 4 Flashcards
Organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight/chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds
autotroph (producer)
First producer of energy, rich compounds that are later used by other organisms
Primary producer
process used by plants and other auto troughs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
Photosynthesis
process in which chemical energy produces carbohydrates
Chemo synthesis
obtains food by consuming other living things
Heterotroph
Relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply
Consumer
Material made up of decaying bits of plant animal material
Detritus
series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being
Food chain
photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean
phytoplankton
network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem
food web
Each step in a food chain or food web
Trophic level
illustration of the relative amounts of energy/matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain/web
ecological pyramid
total amount of living tissue in a trophic level
biomass
Elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter, or pass from one organism to another and form one part of the biosphere to another
biogeochemical cycle
Chemical substance that an organism needs to sustain life
Nutrient
process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use
Nitrogen fixation
Bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas
Gentrification
Single essential nutrient that limits productivity in an ecosystem
Limiting nutrient
an organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals.
autotroph (producer)
The organisms that eat the producers
primary consumer
the biological process by which chemical energy is converted into carbohydrates for the organism’s food.
chemosynthesis
an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients.
heterotroph
an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other plants and/or animals to get energy.
consumer
organic matter made up of the decomposing remains of organisms and plants, and also of feces.
detritus
a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
food chain
microscopic marine algae.
phytoplankton
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
food web
the position of an organism in the food chain
trophic level
a graphical representation of the relationship between the different living organisms at different trophic levels.
ecological pyramid
the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
biomass
an interconnected pathway through which water, or a chemical element such as carbon, is continuously recycled
biogeochemical cycle
A chemical compound (such as protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin, or mineral) contained in foods.
nutrient
the bacterial process whereby molecular N2 gas is converted to reactive, biologically available forms of nitrogen.
nitrogen fixation
microorganisms whose action results in the conversion of nitrates in soil to free atmospheric nitrogen
gentrification
The nutrient which is present in the least quantity in an ecosystem
limiting nutrient
