“Ch. 5 Key Terms. Flashcards
photosynthesis
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.
producer
producer. an organism that produces. (makes) its own food. ex: a plant or algae. Producers get their energy by making their own food.
consumer
An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms or organic matter
decomposer
organism that breaks down dead organic material
cellular respiration
the set of reactions that use oxygen as the ultimate electron acceptor to
food chain
the sequence of transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism.
food web
A food web
trophic level
Trophic level is defined as the position of an organism in the food chain
carbon cycle
the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, t
nitrogen fixing bacteria
prokaryotic microorganisms that are capable of transforming nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into “fixed nitrogen” compounds,
nitrogen cycle
the circulation of nitrogen in various forms through nature
phosphurus cycle
the biochemical process by which phosphorous travels from its source in rocks through different ecosystems to living organisms.
ecological succession
process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time
primary succession
ecological succession that begins in essentially lifeless areas
secondary succession
when the severity of disturbance is insufficient to remove all the existing vegetation and soil from a site.
