Cycling of Matter Flashcards
Biomass
Biomass Material from living or recently living organisms, composed of a mixture of organic molecules containing hydrogen, carbon, often nitrogen, and small quantities of other atoms
Compost Bin
A container for piles of biomass to promote decomposition and decay resulting in a recyclable fertilizer
Decomposers
Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and organic wastes
Decay
To break down or decompose
Carbon Cycle
The movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back
Nitrogen Cycle
The movement of nitrogen from the nonliving environment into living things and back
Water Cycle
The movement of water through the atmosphere, the ground, bodies of water, and living things; the continuous movement of water above, on, and below Earth’s surface
Detritivores
An organism like the earthworm that feeds on the decaying matter after it has been broken down by decomposers
Consumers
Organisms that eat producers or other consumers to obtain energy
Bacteria
Bacteria are important decomposers; they are widely distributed and can break down just about any type of organic matter
Fungi
The primary decomposers of litter in manyecosystems, fungi grow a branching network ofhyphae which can penetrate larger pieces of organic matter and create theenzymesnecessary to decomposelignin, a chemically complex substance found in wood
Thermal Energy
Thermal energy is the portion of the internal energy that is responsible for a system’s temperature.
Carbon Dioxide
Enters the leaves of plants and is used in the photosynthesis process; exhaled by animals as waste from respiration
Glucose
A molecule with stored chemical energy that was converted from radiant energy during the photosynthetic reaction
Organic Compounds
A compound that contains organic carbon and other atoms usually oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or sulfur
Microorganisms
An organism too small to be seen by the unaided human eye, such as bacteria and fungi
Dry Weight
A measurement of the mass of something when completely dried
Photosynthesis
Process by which plant cells make food using water, carbon dioxide, and light from the Sun
Grazing Food Web
Energy flows from producers to consumers and finally to decomposers
Detrital Food Web
Energy from producers flows directly to decomposers as detritus or waste. The decomposers in turn break down the organic matter, furnishing food and energy for consumers.
Terrestrial Biosphere
A collective term for all living organisms on land
Hydrosphere
All the waters on Earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas
Limestone
A common sedimentary rock consisting mostly of calcium carbonate
Calcium Carbonate Rocks
A colorless or white crystalline compound, CaCO3, occurring naturally as chalk, limestone, or marble
Peat Moss
A spongy plant thatgrows in very wet places, especially bogs. The leaves of peat moss have large dead cells surrounded by smaller living ones; the dead cells easily absorb water up to 20 times their dry weight.
Respiration
The transport ofoxygenfrom the outside air to the cells withintissues and thetransportofcarbon dioxidein the opposite direction
Methane
An odorless, colorless, flammable gas, CH4 , the major constituent of natural gas and one of the simplest organic compounds
