Ch. 5 Key Terms Flashcards
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants, algae, & some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, & water to produce carbohydrates & oxygen
Producer
An organism that makes its own food
Consumers
Organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
Decomposers
A sequence in which energy is transferred from 1 organism to the next
Cellular Respiration
The process of breaking down food to yield energy
Food Chain
A path in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next as each organism eats another organism
Food Web
The feeding relationships between organisms that are possible in an ecosystem
Trophic Level
Each step through which is transferred in a food chain
Carbon Cycle
The process by which carbon is cycled between the atmosphere, land, water and organisms
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Fix atmosphere oxygen into ammonia
Nitrogen Cycle
A process in which nitrogen is cycled between 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 and replacement of some or all of the species in a community
Primary Succession
A succession that begins in an area that previously did not support life.
Secondary Succession
The process by which one community replaces another community that has been partially or totally destroyed.
