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.
producer
an organism that produces. (makes) its own food. ex: a plant or algae.
consumer
are living creatures that eat organisms from a different population
decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material
Cellular respiration
Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert chemical energy from oxygen molecules or nutrients into adenosine triphosphate, and then release waste products
food chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
food web
a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.
Trophic level
The trophic level of an organism is the position it occupies in a food web.
carbon cycle
The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere,
nitrogen fixing bacteria
Nitrogen fixation is a process by which molecular nitrogen in the air is converted into ammonia or related nitrogenous compounds in soil.
nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmosphere
phosphorus cycle
The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
ecological succession
Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time
primary succession
Primary succession is one of two types of biological and ecological succession of plant life,
pioneer species
The pioneer species are hardy species which are the first to colonize barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by fire.
