Chapter 14 Flashcards
Why can’t anything live without sunlight?
The energy from the sun sustain all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
What is the sun-earth distance?
149.5 million km
What is ecological cycling?
The flow of chemical elements between living organisms.
Natural pathways by which essential elements are circulated.
Water cycle
Carbon cycle
What is an example of a biogeochemical-cycle?
When inorganic elements like nitrogen and carbon are taken in by organisms and then converted into organic substances in plants or animals and released back into the environment.
What is a cycle?
When a substance is removed, used, released to be reused again.
Why is the water cycle important?
distributes water on land surface purifies water supports plant growth facilities agriculture sustains aquatic ecosystem Promotes human civilization
What is the water cycle?
The circulation of water as ice, liquid, and water vapor throughout the and the atmosphere.
Explain the water cycle shortly?
Evaporation - warms the earth
Transpiration
Perspiration - animals release that evaporated
Decomposition - water released from dead plants and animals
Condensation
Clouds
Precipitation - when large water droplets and clouds too heavy
Run-off - streams and ponds
Infiltration - water sinks into ground and remains under surface
Absorption - plants roots take in water
What is the carbon cycle?
Carbon cycled between atmosphere, land, water and organisms
When producers - pants, convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into carbohydrates during photosynthesis.
Why is carbon an essential element in nature?
Forms more compounds than any other element
Forms basis to plant and animal life
4th most abundant element by mass
2nd most abundant element in human body
Basis of organic molecules (carbohydrates,fats,proteins)
Photosynthesis?
Green plants remove carbon dioxide during process.
Carbon from CO2 is fixed into carbohydrates like glucose and starch molecules
Respiration?
Carbohydrates are broken down to form ATP, and carbon in form of CO2 is released in atmosphere.
Nutrition?
Animals eat plants and other animals, get carbon during nutrition, because carbohydrates, fats and proteins contain carbon.
Animals use glucose during respiration and release CO2 into air
Composition?
Die, organic remains broken down by decomposers(composition)
Carbon becomes part of decomposers bodies which release it as carbon dioxide during respiration.
Fossilization?
Dead organisms get decomposed and covered by layers of sediment - result in decomposed organism becoming crude oil and coal
