Chapter 3: Earth's Environmental Systems Flashcards
Study of Test
True or False: Producers are organisms, mainly animals, that must eat other organisms to obtain nutrients.
False
(consumers)
True or False: Tectonic plates move apart from one another at convergent plate boundaries.
False
(divergent)
True or False: Sometimes, an output of a system is also an input for the same system.
True
True or False: Because water molecules are polar, they tend to repel one another.
False
(attract)
True or False: A compound is a chemical substance with a given set of properties that cannot be broken down into substances with other properties.
False
(element)
All material in the universe that has mass and occupies space is called
A. covalent. B. compound. C. matter. D. carbon.
C. matter.
The central core of every atom, containing particles called protons and neutrons, is called a(n)
A. electron. B. bond. C. nucleus. D. compound.
C. nucleus.
Which type of macromolecule is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur, and can produce tissues, act as hormones, and serve as enzymes?
A. proteins B. lipids C. nucleic acids D. carbohydrates
A. proteins
Water molecules are composed of
A. two oxygen atoms and two hydrogen atoms. B. one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. C. two oxygen atoms and one hydrogen atom. D. one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom.
B. one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms.
A process in which an event acts as both an input and output of the same system is called a(n)
A. feedback loop. B. Earth system. C. photosynthesis. D. lithosphere.
A. feedback loop.
The thin layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin both on dry land and in the ocean is called Earth’s
A. core. B. crust. C. mantle. D. asthenosphere.
B. crust.
Which of Earth’s spheres consists of the layers of gases surrounding our planet?
A. geosphere B. biosphere C. atmosphere D. hydrosphere
C. atmosphere
What function does carbon dioxide play in Earth’s atmosphere?
A. It provides gas for humans to breathe. B. It provides a high level of protection from the sun's radiation. C. It keeps Earth warm through the greenhouse effect. D. It provides liquids for animals to drink.
C. It keeps Earth warm through the greenhouse effect.
Water which returns from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface as rain or snow is called
A. evaporation. B. transpiration. C. condensation. D. precipitation.
D. precipitation.
Nutrients circulate endlessly throughout the environment in complex cycles called
A. eutrophication cycles. B. respiration cycles. C. photosynthesis cycles. D. biogeochemical cycles.
D. biogeochemical cycles.
What is the term for organisms, including plants and algae, that create their own food?
A. consumers B. producers C. legumes D. decomposers
B. producers
In extreme cases, eutrophication can lead to extremely low levels of oxygen in a body of water as decomposers break down all the dead producers, a condition called
A. hypoxia. B. nitrogen fixation. C. respiration. D. photosynthesis.
A. hypoxia.
Which of the following are common sources of phosphorus?
A. gases in the atmosphere B. fertilizer and detergent C. snow and rain D. volcanoes
B. fertilizer and detergent
During the process of nitrogen fixation, nitrogen gas is converted to
A. water. B. phosphorus. C. ammonia. D. carbon dioxide.
C. ammonia.
What type of plant is associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria?
A. grain crops like wheat and oats B. large evergreen trees C. legumes, like soybeans D. aquatic plants, like algae
C. legumes, like soybeans
True or False: Lipids are polymers of amino acids that serve many functions in organisms, such as the production of bones, skin, and muscles.
False
True or False: Oceans, polar ice caps, and groundwater would all be considered part of Earth’s atmosphere.
False
True or False: Water also enters the atmosphere by condensation, the release of water vapor by plants through their leaves.
False
True or False: The nutrients required in relatively large amounts are called micronutrients and include nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.
False
True or False: The phosphorus cycle keeps phosphorus availability naturally high.
False
__________ are organic compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon.
Hydrocarbons
The acidity or basicity of a solution is described by the __________ scale.
pH
In a __________ feedback loop, the output of a system moving in one direction acts as input that causes the system to move in the other direction.
negative
As the asthenosphere moves, it drags along large plates of crust called __________ plates.
tectonic
In __________, producers pull carbon dioxide out of their environment and combine it with water in the presence of sunlight.
photosynthesis
