Chapter 11 Flashcards

1
Q

biosphere

A

the part of the planet that contains all of it’s living organisms

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2
Q

geobiology

A

the study of the interactions between the biosphere and Earth’s physical environment

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3
Q

ecosystems

A

the organizational units of biological communities and their environments

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4
Q

autotrophs

A

organisms that make their own food

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5
Q

heterotrophs

A

feed directly or indirectly on producers

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6
Q

metabolism

A

all the processes organisms use to convert inputs into outputs

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7
Q

cyanobacteria

A

use photosynthesis to make carbohydrates

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8
Q

respiration

A

organisms release the energy stored in carbohydrates

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9
Q

biogeochemical cycle

A

the cycle where a chemical element or compound moves between the biological and environmental components of a system

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10
Q

microorganisms

A

single-celled organisms

wherever there is water, these are present

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11
Q

Three domains of life

A

bacteria
archaea
eukarya

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12
Q

what is the youngest domain of life?

A

eukarya

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13
Q

extremophiles

A

microorganisms that live in environments that would kill other organisms

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14
Q

acidophiles

A

microorganisms that live in acidic environments

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15
Q

thermophiles

A

microorganisms that live in extremely hot environments

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16
Q

what temperature range do thermophiles thrive in?

A

50 - 70 degrees celsius

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17
Q

examples of thermophile environments

A

hot springs

compost piles or landfills

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18
Q

halophiles

A

microorganisms that live in highly saline environments

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19
Q

anaerobes

A

microorganisms that live in environments completely devoid of oxygen

20
Q

example of biogeochemical cycle

A

phosphorous

  • cycle between water and microorganisms
  • cycle between rocks in mountains to sediments in the ocean
21
Q

mineral precipitation

A

indirectly - influencing the composition of the water around them
directly - in their cells as a result of their metabolism

22
Q

mineral dissolution

A

elements like sulfur and nitrogen can be readily available from natural waters in dissolved form

23
Q

chemoautotrophs

A

autotrophs that derive their energy from the chemicals produced when minerals dissolve

24
Q

biogeochemical cycle of pyrite

A
  • iron and sulfur precipitate as pyrite
  • when layers of sediments are deposited, pyrite is buried
  • returns to the surface through plate tectonics
  • rocks start to weather and the iron and sulfur are dissolved back into the water
25
microbial mats
layered microbial communities
26
microbial mat structure
top - oxygen-producing cyanobacteria that uses photosynthesis - aerobic second - anaerobic heterotrophs that derive their food from the organic matter produced in the above layer
27
stromatolites
rocks with distinctive thin layers
28
what forms stromatolites?
many microbial mats
29
how old is the Earth?
4.5 billion years old
30
what does evolution say about microorganisms?
they evolved from a universal ancestor with genetic information
31
prebiotic soup hypothesis
- early planetary materials might contain amino acids | - amino acids could have formed on a planet without oxygen
32
when do most geobiologists think life on Earth began?
3.5 million years ago
33
chemofossils
chemical remains of organic compounds made by ancient microorganisms
34
when did photosynthesis become an important metabolic process?
2.7 billion years ago
35
evolutionary radiation
rapid development of new types of organisms from a common ancestor
36
Cambrian explosion
- 542 million years ago a radiation of animals during the Cambrian era - every major animal group that exists on Earth today appeared in less than 10 million years
37
hypotheses for the cause of the Cambrian explosion
- multicellularity opened up new evolutionary possibilities | - development of shells and skeletons triggered diversification
38
when did dinosaurs go extinct?
65 million years ago
39
when did the Paleocene-Eocene mass extinction occur?
55 million years ago
40
what was the Paleocene-Eocene mass extinction?
the oceans released an enormous amount of methane (greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere
41
how did the Paleocene-Eocene mass extinction occur?
the temperatures on Earth were rising which cause the frozen methane on the sea floor to turn into a gas and bubbled at the surface of the ocean
42
what was the mother of all extinctions?
the mass extinction at the end of the Permian Period and the Paleozoic era
43
what are the essential ingredients for life?
water and carbon
44
where are we looking for life and why?
we are looking on Mars because water is present in ice form
45
habitable zone
the distance from a star at which water is stable as a liquid