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 makes its own food
consumer
organisms that can not make their own food
decomposer
consumers that get their own food from 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 eats another organism
food web
includes more organisms than a food chain, and shows the feeding relationship between organisms that are possible in an ecosystem
trophic level
each step through which energy is transferred in a food chain is known as a trophic level.
carbon cycle
the process by which carbon is cycled
Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria
bacteria that can fix atmospheric nitrogen and turn it 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 organism then back to the environment.
ecological succesion
the gradual process of change and replacement of some or all the species in a community.
primary succesion
succession that occurs in areas that previously did not support life.
secondary succesion
succession that occurs where an ecosystem previously existed, but had been disturbed
