Ch. 5 Key Terms Flashcards
photosynthesis
When organisms use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugar and oxygen.
producer
An organism that makes its own food.
consumer
Organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
decomposer
Consumers that get their food by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms.
cellular respiration
The process of breaking down carbohydrates to yield energy.
food chain
The path in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next as each organism eat another organism.
food web
Includes organisms and shows the feeding relationship between organisms that are possible in an ecosystem.
trophic levels
Each step through which energy is transferred in a food chain.
carbon cycle
Is a process by which carbon is cycled between the atmosphere, land, water, and organisms.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
A species of bacteria which can fix atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form called ammonia.
nitrogen cycle
A process which nitrogen is cycled between the atmosphere, soil, and organisms.
phosphorus cycle
Is the movement of phosphorus from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.
ecological succession
A gradual process of change and replacement of some or all of the species in a community.
primary succession
Succession in an area which previously did not support life, such as on rocks or sand dunes.
secondary succession
Occurs in areas where an ecosystem has previously existed.
