CHAP. 5 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
a person, company, or country that makes, grows, or supplies goods or commodities for sale.
consumer
a person who purchases goods and services for personal use.
decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
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 (ATP), 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
each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.
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, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
are prokaryotic microorganisms that are capable of transforming nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into “fixed nitrogen” compounds, such as ammonia, that are usable by plants.
nitrogen cycle
is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems.
phosphorus cycle
is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
ecological succession
is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.
primary succession
occurs when new land is formed or bare rock is exposed, providing a habitat that can be colonized for the first time.
secondary succession
occurs in areas where a biological community has already existed but some or all of that community has been removed by small-scale disturbances that did not eliminate all life and nutrients from the environment.
