Finals Study Sem 1 Flashcards
Identifying the Problem (Purpose)
Ask Questions
Research
Gather background information about the topic from many different sources
Hypothesis
An educated guess or a prediction of the outcome of a problem
Experiment
A scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact.
Independent Variable
Variable that is manipulated. The CAUSE or answers the question: What did we change?
Dependent Variable
Variable that changes in response to the independent variable. The EFFECT or answers the question: What can I measure after the change?
Conclusion
Based on the results of the experiment. Describes whether the experimental data supports the hypothesis or not.
Biology
Study of life; living organisms
(G)rowth
The process of becoming larger and more complex
Development
Changes an organism undergoes in its lifetime before reaching its adult form
(R)eproduction
The process of producing offspring
Sexual Reproduction
A reproductive process that involves two parents that combine their genetic material to produce a new organism, which differs from both parents.
Asexual Reproduction
A reproductive process that involves only one parent and produces offspring that are identical to the parent.
(A)daptation
Inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s chance of survival
Evolution
The gradual change in a species over time
Adjustment
Individual’s functional alteration or adaptation to the immediate environment
Homeostasis
Self-regulating process by which an organism tends to maintain stability while adjusting to conditions that are best for its survival
(C)ells
The smallest functional unit of life
Unicellular
Made of a single cell
Multicellular
Made up of more than one cell.
(E)nergy
The ability to do work
Heterotroph
An organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer
Autotroph
An organism that makes its own food
Photosynthesis
The process in which plants use light energy from the sun to create their own sugar (glucose).
agri-
Field, soil
atmo-
Vapor
anti-
Against
auto-
Self
bio-
Life
chromo-
Color
con-
Together
di-
Double
endo-
Within
exo-
Outside
hetero-
Different
homo-
Same
hydro-
Water
inter-
Between
iso-
Equal
kilo-
Thousand
macro-
Large
micro-
Small
photo-
Light
trans-
Across
-logy
Study of
-meter
Device for measuring
-scope
Instrument for seeing
-sphere
Round
-stasis
Stationary condition
-synthesis
The forming or building of a more complex substance or compound from elements or simpler compounds
-therm
Heat
-troph
Nourishment
-ology
Study of
Population
All the individuals of a species that live together in an area
Limiting Factors
Any part of an ecosystem that prevents population growth ( Biotic and Abiotic)
Biotic Factors
Living parts of an ecosystem
Abiotic Factors
Nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Population Size
How many individuals make up a population
Population Density
Measurement of population per unit area or unit volume (# of individuals/unit of space)
Population Dispersion
Describes the spacing of organisms relative to each other
Exponential Growth
When resources are unlimited (J shaped curve)
Logistic growth
When resources are limited (S shaped curve)
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources
Clumped Dispersion Pattern
A pattern in which the individuals of a population are aggregated in patches
Random Dispersion Pattern
A pattern in which the individuals of a population are spaced in an unpredictable way
Uniform Dispersion Pattern
A pattern in which the individuals of a population are evenly distributed over an area
Immigration
Migration to a new location
Emmigration
Movement of individuals out of a population
Natality (birth rate)
Ability of a population to increase; reproductive rate
Mortality (death rate)
The number of deaths in a population in a certain amount of time
r-strategist
Reproduce early in life; many small unprotected offspring
k-strategist
Reproduce late in life; few offspring; care for offspring
intraspecific competition
Competition between members of the same species
interspecific competition
Competition between members of different species
survivorship curve
Graph showing the number of survivors in different age groups for a particular species.
Biodiversity
The variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations
Ecosystem Diversity
The variations in ecosystems within a geographical location
Habitat
The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
Species Diversity
The number of different species that are represented in a given community
Niche
The role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces
Genetic Diversity
The variation in the amount of genetic information within and among individuals of a population, a species, or a community.
Diversity (Simpson’s) Index
A numerical measure of species diversity in a given area. The scale ranges from 0-1, with 1 representing the lowest biodiversity.
species richness
The number of individuals species in a given area
species evenness
Relative abundance of each species
Hotspots
Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.
Extinction Rates
The state or process of a species, family, or larger group being or becoming extinct
Biome
A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms
tundra biome
Extremely cold and dry biome; known for its permafrost, mosses, lichens, caribou, and snowy owl
Desert Biome
A biome that has little or no plant life, long periods without rain, and extreme temperatures; usually found in hot climates
Forest Biome
High precipitation, little evaporation; dominated by trees; found in tropics, subarctic
freshwater biomes
Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands
grassland biome
Land biome characterized by moderate rainfall, fields of grasses, and few trees
marine biome
Covers 70% of earth’s surface; largest biome; temperatures vary from region to region; algae and plankton form the base of the food chain
Population
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
Community
All the different species that live together in an area
Producer
Use energy from sunlight to form food molecules by photosynthesis
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms
Primary Consumer
A herbivore that feeds directly on producers
Secondary Consumer
An organism that eats primary consumers
Tertiary Consumer
A carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds only on secondary consumers
Food Chain
A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy.
Food Web
Network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
Omnivore
An animal that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals
Carnivore
An animal that obtains energy by eating only other animals
Herbivore
An animal that obtains energy by eating only plants
Energy Pyramid
Shows the amount of energy that moves from one trophic level to another
What % of Earth’s water ready for human use?
Less than 1%
oceans, atmosphere, solid Earth and the biosphere
The four places water is stored on Earth
Evaporation
Water falling from clouds in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow.
Transpiration
The movement of liquid water through a plant to the atmosphere
Condensation
Clouds are an example of which step in the water cycle?
Where does the water cycle get its energy from?
The Sun
When ice melts into water, is energy added or removed?
Energy is added
Sublimation
The process in which a solid changes states directly to a gas
Deposition
the laying down of sediment carried by wind
When water freezes, is energy added or removed?
Energy is removed
Precipitation
Which part of the water cycle is shown in the image?
water conservation
Careful use and protection of water resources
Aquifer
An underground formation that contains groundwater
Adhesion
An attraction between molecules of different substances
Cohesion
Attraction between molecules of the same substance
surface tension
A measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid
specific heat
The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius
Carbon
An element that is in all living things, or things that were once living. It’s referred to as the ‘building block of life’
Carbon Cycle
The organic circulation of carbon between living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) parts of an ecosystem.
Atmosphere
Thin layer of gases surrounding Earth
Fossil Fuels
Coal, oil, natural gas, remains of dead plants and animals
H2CO3
Carbonic acid
Coal
a combustible black or dark brown rock made from dead plants and animals that once lived on land.
Petrol
A highly flammable fossil fuel formed by the decayed remains of ancient organisms
Carbon is found in which four macromolecules necessary for life?
Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, Nucleic Acids (DNA and RNA)
Soil Respiration
When terrestrial microbial communities release CO2 back into the atmosphere (Process 8)
Chemical Weathering
The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes. Ex carbonic acid from rain dissolving rocks on the Earth’s surface
Sedimentation
the action or process of forming or depositing sediment
Subduction
The process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench, melting carbonic rock.
Volcanic Activity
the formation and eruption of volcanoes which returns carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere.
N2
Nitogen Gas
NO3
Nitrate
NH4
Ammonium
5 Process of the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen Fixation, Ammonification, Nitrification, Assimilation, Denitrification
How can nitrogen enter water?
Leaching
What is phosphorus needed for?
Cell membranes, DNA, ATP, teeth and bones
Where is phosphorus not found?
Atmosphere
Where does phosphorus cycle through?
Soil and oceans
What happens when water runs over rocks containing phosphorus?
It erodes rock and releases phosphorus into water
How do decomposers contribute to the phosphorus cycle?
Release phosphorus into soil from dead matter
Where is most phosphorus stored?
In rock
What two organic molecules are built using phosphate absorbed by plant roots?
ATP and DNA
What is the phosphorus cycle?
The movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks.
How do animals get phosphorus?
By eating plants and other animals that contain phosphorus
What is mineralization?
The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds
What is leaching?
Process in which various chemicals in upper layers of soil are dissolved and carried to lower layers and which eventually empty into bodies of water.
What is eutrophication?
A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.
What is weather?
The daily conditions of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, atmospheric pressure wind and moisture
What is climate?
Patterns of atmospheric conditions over long periods of time
What are anthropogenic changes?
Changes in the environment caused by humans
How do scientists study ancient climate change?
By examining fossils, tree rings (dendrochronology), ice cores, and sunspots
Which type of ground cover reflects the highest amount of the sun’s energy?
Ice or snow
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Natural situation in which heat is trapped in Earth’s atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
What is global warming?
Refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes changes in the global climate.
What are the effects of an increase in global average temperature on the Earth?
- Global Temperatures will Rise
- Melting Ice
- Changing Ocean Currents
- Drought
- Loss of Flora and Fauna
- Ocean Acidification
- Extreme Weather
What is drought?
A long period without rain
What is ocean acidification?
When CO2 dissolves in seawater, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which prevents shell growth in marine animals
What human activities produce greenhouse gases?
- Burning fossil fuels
- Cutting or burning forest land
- Raising livestock
- Production of Waste
What is a monomer?
A simple, basic building block
What is a macromolecule?
A very large molecule (such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids or carbohydrates) built up from smaller chemical structures
What is a carbohydrate?
Used for short term energy storage and structure. Examples: sugar, starch, glycogen, cellulose, chitin
What is a monosaccharide?
A simple sugar that is the basic building block of a carbohydrate
What is a disaccharide?
A double sugar molecule made of two monosaccharides bonded together.
What is a polysaccharide?
A large sugar molecule made of a long chain of monosaccharides.
What is a lipid?
Used by cells as long term energy storage. Examples: fats, oils, waxes
What is a fatty acid?
Building blocks of lipids
What is glucose?
A simple sugar or monosaccharide that is an important source of energy.
What is glycerol?
Combines with fatty acids to make lipids.
What type of lipid acts as a water repellant?
Waxes
What are nucleic acids?
Store and transmit genetic information. Examples: DNA & RNA
What is a nucleotide?
The basic building block of nucleic acids
What is a protein?
Involved in movement, structure, the immune system and enzymes
What are amino acids?
The basic building block of proteins
What is dehydration synthesis?
A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.
What is hydrolysis?
Breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water
What are phospholipids?
A lipid consisting of a glycerol bound to two fatty acids and a phosphate group.
What are steroids?
Steroids are a class of lipids that have a basic structure of four linked carbon rings and include cholesterol, vitamin D, and a variety of hormones.
What are enzymes?
Proteins that speed up chemical reactions
What is a substrate?
A specific reactant acted upon by an enzyme
What is a covalent bond?
A chemical bond that involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms in a molecule
What is a hydrogen bond?
Weak attraction between a hydrogen atom and another atom
