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Biology > Energy Transfer and Nutrient Cycles > Flashcards

Energy Transfer and Nutrient Cycles Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Where do plants get their energy from

A

The sun

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2
Q

What is biomass

A

the mass of living material or chemical energy stored in a plant

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3
Q

How can biomass be measured

A

in terms of carbon that an organism contains or the dry mass of its tissue per unit area

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4
Q

What is dry mass

A

The mass of an organism with the water removed

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5
Q

Why does water have to be removed for an organism to be used as a measure of biomass

A

As the water content of living tissue varies

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6
Q

How to measure dry mass

A

Dry sample of organism,(often in an oven at a low temp), the sample is weighed at regular intervals

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7
Q

Why is the sample of an organism weighed at intervals when creating dry mass

A

As when the sample is at a constant weight you know all of the water has been removed

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8
Q

How can the amount of chemical energy stored in biomass be estimated

A

By burning the biomass in a calorimeter, the amount of heat given off tells you how much energy is in it

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9
Q

What is gross primary production

A

The total amount of chemical energy converted by plants in a given area

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10
Q

How much of the gross primary production is lost to the environment

A

approximately 50%

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11
Q

What is respiratory loss

A

Energy lost to the environment as heat when plants respire

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12
Q

What is the equation for net primary production

A

NPP= GPP-R

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13
Q

What is Net primary production

A

The energy available to the plant for growth and reproduction-the energy is stored in the plant’s biomass

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14
Q

How do consumers get energy

A

By ingesting plant material, or animals that have ingested plant material

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15
Q

What % of chemical energy from consumer’s food is shared to the next trophic level

A

90%

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16
Q

What happens to lost chemical energy

A

Not all of the food is eaten, some is lost excreted, lost through respiration

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17
Q

What is the equation for net production

A

Net Production= Chemical energy from ingested food-(Chemical energy lost in faeces and urine-Energy lost through respiration)
N=I-(F+R)

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18
Q

efficiency equation

A

efficiency of energy transfer=
net production of trophic level/ net production of previous trophic level x 100

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19
Q

What is used by farmers to reduce pests

A

Pesticides, biological agents, integrated systems that combine both chemical and biological methods.

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20
Q

Ways farmers can decrease energy lost through respiration in livestock

A

restrict movement, indoor and warm environment

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21
Q

What are the 2 things that saprobionts do

A

feed on remains of dead plants and animals and break them down
Extracellular digestion

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22
Q

What is extracellular digestion

A

When they secrete enzymes and digest their food externally, then absorb the nutrients they need. Organic molecules are broken down into inorganic ions

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23
Q

What is saprobiont nutrition

A

Obtaining nutrients from dead organic matter and animal waste using extracellular digestion

24
Q

What relationship is known as mycorrhizae

A

the symbiotic relationship between some fungi and the roots of plants

25
Q

What are hyphae

A

Long thin strands that make up fungi, which connect to other plants roots

26
Q

What are the benefits of hyphae

A

Increased surface area of the plants roots system, helping the plants to absorb ions from the soil
Increased water uptake by the plant

27
Q

What do hyphae obtain from plants

A

Organic compounds
(glucose…)

28
Q

Plants and animals need nitrogen to make

A

Proteins and nucleic acids (DNA,RNA)

29
Q

How much of the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen

A

78%

30
Q

Animals and Plants can’t use nitrogen in it’s natural form so it’s got to be converted to

A

nitrogen containing compounds first

31
Q

What is nitrogen fixation

A

When nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is turned into nitrogen containing compounds

32
Q

What is nitrogen fixation carried out by

A

Bacteria such as Rhizobium

33
Q

What effect does Rhizobium have on nitrogen

A

It turns it into ammonia which goes on to form ammonium ions in solution that can be used by plants

34
Q

Where is Rhizobium found

A

Inside root nodules of leguminous plants,

35
Q

Rhizobium forms a mutualistic relationship with leguminous plants how

A

They provide the plant with nitrogen compounds and the plant provides them with carbohydrates

36
Q

other nitrogen fixing bacteria are found

A

in the soil

37
Q

What is ammonification

A

When nitrogen compounds from dead organisms are turned into ammonia by saprobionts, which goes on to form ammonium ions

38
Q

Animal waste also contains nitrogen compounds and can be turned into

A

Ammonia by saprobionts and go on to form ammonium ions

39
Q

What is nitrification

A

When ammonium ions in the soil are changed into nitrogen compounds that can then be used by plants(nitrates)

40
Q

First nitrifying bacteria Nitrosomonas change ammonium ions into

A

Nitrites

41
Q

Other nitrifying bacteria called nitrobacter changes nitrites into

A

Nitrates

42
Q

What is denitrification

A

When nitrates in the soil are converted into nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria

43
Q

During denitrification nitrates in the soil are used to carry out

A

Respiration and produce nitrogen gas, this happens under aerobic conditions

44
Q

Other ways nitrogen gets into an ecosystem

A

by lightning(which fixes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen oxides
by artificial fertilisers(produced on industrial scale from atmospheric nitrogen by haber process

45
Q

Plants and animals need phosphorus to make biological molecules such as

A

Phospholipids, DNA, ATP

46
Q

Where is phosphorus found

A

in rocks and dissolved in the oceans in the form of phosphate ions

47
Q

Phosphate ions can be assimliated (absorbed and then used to make more complex molecules) by

A

Plants and other producers

48
Q

Phosphate ions are released into the soil by

A

Weathering

49
Q

Phosphate ions are taken into the plants through

A

The roots

50
Q

Mycorrihaze greatly increases the rate at which

A

phosphorus can be assimilated

51
Q

Phosphate ions are transferred through the food chain as

A

Animals eat the plant and are in turn eaten by other animals

52
Q

Phosphate ions are lost from the animals through

A

Waste products

53
Q

Weathering also releases phosphate ions into seas lakes and rivers, this is taken up by aquatic producers and passed on to

A

sea birds through food chain

54
Q

What is the waste produced by sea birds known as

A

Guano

55
Q

What does Guano contain

A

A high proportion of phosphate ions

56
Q

Guano returns a significant amount of phosphate ions to

A

soils and is often used as a natural fertiliser

Biology (13 decks)

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