Ch.5 Key Terms Flashcards
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants, algae, an some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and some water to produce carbohydrates an oxygens.
Producer
An organisms that can make organic molecules from inorganic molecules, photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotroph that serves as the basic food source in an ecosystem.
Consumer
An organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources.
Decomposer
An organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms, examples include bacteria and fungi.
Cellular Respiration
The process by which cells produce energy from carbohydrates, atmospheric oxygen combines with glucose to form water and carbon dioxide.
Food Chain
The pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a serious of organisms.
Food Web
A diagram that shows the feeding relationship between organisms in an ecosystem.
Trophic Level
One of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid, examples include producers, primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers.
Ecological Succession
A gradual process of change and replacement in a community.
Primary Sucession
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.
Pionner Species
A species that colonizes an uninhabited area and starts and ecological cycle in which many other species become established.
Climax Community
a final, stable community in equilibrium with environment.
Carbon Cycle
the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things an back
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia.
