Ch. 5 Key Terms Flashcards
Photosynthesis
when organisms use sunlight to make sugar
producer
an organism that makes its own food
consumer
get their energy by eating other organisms
decomposer
get their food by breaking down 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
food web
includes more organisms and shows the feeding relationships between them
trophic level
each step through which energy is transferred
carbon cycle
the cycle of carbon though the atmosphere, land, water, and organisms
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
can fix atmospheric nitrogen into useful form called ammonia
nitrogen cycle
the cycle of carbon though the atmosphere, soil, and organisms
phosphorus cycle
the movement of phosphorus from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment
ecological succession
a gradual process of change
primary succession
did not support life
secondary succession
where an ecosystem previously existed
