exam 1

Question 1

accuracy

Answer 1

correctness of measurements

Question 2

precision

Answer 2

repeatability of results

Question 3

scientific method

Answer 3

1. Identify problem
2. Form hypothesis
3. Test it
4. Interpret results-if hypothesis wrong, come up with new one

Question 4

ind. variable

Answer 4

variable being changed

Question 5

dependent variable

Answer 5

variable impacted by ind. variable (depends on it)

Question 6

system

Answer 6

interdependent network – energy flows from one thing to another

Question 7

state variables

Answer 7

store resources within systems
work together – sun creates photosynthesis for plant-bunny eats energy created by photosynthesis-fox eats bunny-fox decomposes-cycle restarts

Question 8

positive feedback loop

Answer 8

increase in system variable–leads to further increases

Question 9

negative feedback loop

Answer 9

suppresses change within system–keeps balance

Question 10

feedback loops working together

Answer 10

fish tank – sunlight comes in, creates energy–fish eats food, processes energy from it, defecates–needs to replace that energy with more food (food-takes in oxygen, releases carbon dioxide)

Question 11

elements

Answer 11

simple substances that can’t be broken down (96% of mass of living things – hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon)

Question 12

atoms

Answer 12

smallest particles that have element characteristics

Question 13

compounds

Answer 13

substances made up of different types of atoms

Question 14

molecule

Answer 14

two or more atoms joined together

Question 15

chemical bonds

Answer 15

chemical energy holding atoms together within molecules

Question 16

ionic bonds

Answer 16

atoms with opposite charges bond (na – negative bond, cl – positive bond)

Question 17

covalent bonds

Answer 17

atoms bond sharing electrons (water – hydrogen slight positive charge, oxygen slight negative – water is cohesive)

Question 18

kinetic energy

Answer 18

energy in moving objects (ex. energy in water going down waterfall)

Question 19

potential energy

Answer 19

stored energy (ex. energy in water waiting to go down waterfall)

Question 20

chemical energy

Answer 20

energy stored in food or fossil fuels

Question 21

first law of thermodynamics

Answer 21

energy can be transformed, not created/destroyed (same as matter)

Question 22

second law of thermodynamics

Answer 22

each energy transfer – less energy available. 10% of energy from source retained from level to level

Question 23

photosynthesis

Answer 23

captures energy – light dependent reactions in chloroplasts of plant cells. 6 carbon dioxide + 6 water + light reaction = 6 glucose (C6, H12, O6) + 6 oxygen gas.
glucose – primary fuel for metabolic processes

Question 24

cellular respiration

Answer 24

releases energy – splits hydrogen/carbon from glucose – combines them with oxygen, leads to carbon dioxide, water.
glucose + 6 oxygen = 6 water + 6 carbon dioxide + energy
animals get energy through cellular respiration – eat animals that already ate plants, get energy from that cellular respiration

Question 25

trophic structure

Answer 25

feeding relationships among species in a community

Question 26

trophic levels

Answer 26

``` producers (plants) primary consumers (rabbits eat plants) secondary consumers (foxes eat rabbits) tertiary consumers (eagle eats fox) ```

Question 27

10% rule

Answer 27

10% of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next

Question 28

biomagnification

Answer 28

toxin levels increase as toxin goes up trophic levels (bald eagles -- DDT gets to them -- eggs weren't the right size/misshapen -- issues with eggs hatching)

Question 29

water cycle

Answer 29

cycle of water through earth. human impacts -- global warming -- water evaporates, less water to go around

Question 30

carbon cycle

Answer 30

movement of carbon through the earth (human impacts -- fossil fuels generates too much carbon for sinks to take in --excess carbon in air -- global warming)

Question 31

nitrogen cycle

Answer 31

nitrogen fertilizer -- puts excess nitrogen in system. fertilizer goes into ocean -- ingested by small organisms

Question 32

natural selection

Answer 32

individuals with traits better suited for their environment pass on their traits to the next generation. leads to accumulation of desired traits over time

Question 33

evolution

Answer 33

species change over generations while competing for resources. those who have better traits are better competitors

Question 34

generalists

Answer 34

broad ecological niche -- can tolerate many environmental factors

Question 35

specialists

Answer 35

narrow niche -- specific habitat requirements, less reproductive frequency, less resilient to environmental factors, only found in one habitat

Question 36

selection pressure

Answer 36

favoring characteristics in individuals in a population -- population shifts towards those over time

Question 37

directional selection

Answer 37

one trait favored/one eliminated

Question 38

stabilizing selection

Answer 38

narrowing range of trait

Question 39

disruptive selection

Answer 39

traits diverge towards two extremes

Question 40

competition

Answer 40

-/-. organisms compete for limited resources

Question 41

predation

Answer 41

+/-. predator/prey relationship

Question 42

co-evolution

Answer 42

species change together, adapt -- flowers and pollinating organisms, etc.

Question 43

mutualism

Answer 43

+/+. both organisms benefit

Question 44

commensalism

Answer 44

+/neutral. one organism benefits, one organism gets no benefit or negative impact

Question 45

parasitism

Answer 45

beneficial for one species, detrimental to host

Question 46

disturbance

Answer 46

any force that disrupts established community. can be good and bad

Question 47

intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Answer 47

communities with intermediate disturbances have more species than those with high/low disturbance rates

Question 48

species richness

Answer 48

number of species in a community

Question 49

species evenness

Answer 49

individual abundance rate per species

Question 50

threats to biodiversity -- hippo

Answer 50

``` Habitat destruction Invasive species Pollution Population Overharvesting ```

Question 51

biodiversity hotspots

Answer 51

locations that contain 1,500 endemic species when totaled together

Question 52

environmental science

Answer 52

systematic study of environment + our correct role in it