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Es2003 Earth Science > Geobiology > Flashcards

Geobiology Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

(L1)

What are the three domains of life?

A

Eukarya, bacteria, archea

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2
Q

What is the phylogenetic tree based off of?

A

rRNA and distance between common ancestors

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3
Q

What are microbes?

A

Bacteria and archea

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4
Q

Who developed a way to relate different organisms by seperarating RNA in 1977?

A

Carl Woese

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5
Q

What is the morphology of each domain?

A

Eukaryote- Multi-cellular (over 10mm), diverse shape
Bacteria- Unicellular (1-5micrometers), limited shape
Archea- Unicellular (1-5micrometers), limited shape

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6
Q

What is the structure of the nucleus of each domain?

A

Eukaryote- Membrane-bound
Archea- No membrane
Bacteria- No membrane

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7
Q

What are the main structures in prokaryotes?

A

Cell wall, cell membrane, DNA, nucleoid, cytoplasm with ribsomes.

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8
Q

What are the main structures in Eukaryote?

A

Golgi apperatus, lysosome, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrion, cell membrane.

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9
Q

How diverse is each domain?

A

Eukaryote- not very diverse
Archea- diverse, incredibly diverse metabolisms, millions of cells/ml in most aquatic systems, global biomass is 60-100x the size of plant biomass.
Bacteria- Diverse-same as archea, incredibly important agents of biogeochemical change.

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10
Q

What type of locations can extremophiles inhabbit?

A

Salt ponds, lava, frozen lakes etc.

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11
Q

What are the five requirements for life?

A

Stable enviroment, liquid water, nutrients, carbon source, energy source.

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12
Q

What happens to enzyme proteins when they exceed an optimum temperature?

A

They denature

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13
Q

What happens to enzyme proteins when they fall too far below optimum temperature?

A

They freeze

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14
Q

What is a Psychrophile?

A

Cold lover

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15
Q

What is the optimum temperature for Psychrophiles?

A

<15C

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16
Q

Why is this helpful?

A

Over 80% of Earth is below 15C.

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17
Q

What is a hyperthermophile?

A

Super heat lover

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18
Q

Where can we find the hyperthermophile that can live in the hottest temperature (300C)?

A

Black smoker hydrothermal vents

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19
Q

Where are the highest growth rates?

A

In specimens where the generation time is slowest.

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20
Q

Where can microbes be found below 0C?

A

Growing between ice crystals in the pore spaces of ice,

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21
Q

What is the lowest temperature that cell activity has been recorded?

A

-25C

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22
Q

What do microbes do to inhibit ice crystal formation?

A

They secrete compounds

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23
Q

Name a bacteria that optimumly grows in extreme halite conditions.

A

Halobacterium Salinarium

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24
Q

What are acidophiles?

A

Acid lovers- thrive at pH3 by maintaing their cytoplasm at the same pH as their neutophilic relatives

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25
Q

What pH is the cytoplasm of Acidophiles?

A

Neutral

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26
Q

A change in 1 pH unir is a _x change in hydrogen ion?

A

10

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27
Q

What are the two types of acidophiles that can be found in Rio Tinto?

A

Streamers ad Veils

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28
Q

What is the equation used to describe the oxidation of such acidophiles?

A

4Fe2+ +O2 +4H+ -> 4Fe3+ + 2H2O

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29
Q

What eukaryotes can be found in Rio Tinto?

A

Green algae

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30
Q

What process do they undergo?

A

Photosynthesis

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31
Q

(L2)

What are two requirements for life make up metabolism?

A

Carbon source and energy source

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32
Q

What are two carbon sources?

A

CO2 or organic matter

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33
Q

What are the two energy sources?

A

Sunlight and chemicals

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34
Q

What does autotroph mean?

A

Self-nutrition

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35
Q

Name some autotrophs.

A

Oak tree, cyanobacteria

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36
Q

What is the energy source for chemotrophs?

A

Electrochemical energy produced by coupling electron flow between chemicals in the enviroment.

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37
Q

What are two electron sources>

A

Lithotroph and Organotroph

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38
Q

Give the carbon and energy source for photoautotrophs.

A

C-CO2, E-sunlight

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39
Q

Give the carbon and energy sources for photoheterotrophs.

A

C-Organic compounds, E- sunlight

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40
Q

Give the carbon and energy sources for chemoheterotrophs,

A

C-Organic compounds, E- organic compounds

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41
Q

Give the carbon and energy sources for chemoautotrophs.

A

C-CO2 and E-inorganic compounds

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42
Q

What are the two types of photosynthesis?

A

Oxygenic and anoxygenic

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43
Q

Why was oxygen a critical steo in evolutionary history?

A

It is a potent source of energy, toxic and damages DNA, PROTEINS AND LIPIDS.

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44
Q

What is the electron potential (V or Eo)?

A

Tendancy of a substance ro become ozidised or reduced

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45
Q

What does a negative Eo correspond with?

A

Electron donation

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46
Q

What is Gibbs Free Energy?

A

Eo acceptor- Eo donor

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47
Q

What part of the electrochemical series has strong e-donors?

A

Top

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48
Q

What is the oxidation half-equation for aerobic respiration,

A

C₆H₁₂O₆ -> 6CO₂ + 24e ⁻

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49
Q

What is the reduction equation for aerobic respiration?

A

6O₂ + 24e⁻ -> 6H₂O

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50
Q

What is the oxidation half-equation for anaerobic respiration?

A

CH₃CO₂⁻ -> 2CO₂ + 8e⁻

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51
Q

What is the reduction half-equation for anaerobic respiration?

A

SO₄²⁻ + 8e⁻ -> H₂S

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52
Q

Give some common e-acceptors for chemoautotrophy.

A

O2, Fe3+, SO₄²C

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53
Q

What is the oxdation half-equation for chemotrophic Fe-oxidiation?

A

4Fe²⁺ -> Fe³⁺ + 4e⁻

54
Q

What is the reduction half-equation for chemotrophic Fe-oxidation?

A

O₂ + 4e⁻ + 4H⁺ -> 2H₂O

55
Q

What bacteria is important in AMD?

A

Acidithiobaccilus ferrooxidans

56
Q

(L3)

What is a system science?

A

The framework for thinking about complex interactions on Earth,

57
Q

What is a system?

A

A set of interconnecting parts that function together as a complex whole.

58
Q

What are the 3 components?

A

A resevoir of matter (marine bicarbonate, atmosphere of CO2), an attribute (a state-T or P) and a subsystem (defined at various scales)

59
Q

What are the Earth’s subsystems?

A

Geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere,

??anthrosphere??

60
Q

What are couplings?

A

Components of a system that can be linked.

61
Q

What is a feedback?

A

A self-perpetuating mechanism of change and response to that change

62
Q

When does feedback occur?

A

When the couplings change or respond to disturbances in the system.

63
Q

Is the water vapor effect a positive or negative feedback effect and why?

A

Negative, warming -> water vapour -> clouds -> albedo -> warming decreases

64
Q

Is the ice-albedo effect a positive or negative feedback and why?

A

Positive, ice cover -> Warming -> ice cover ->albedo -> Warming increases

65
Q

What does perturbation mean?

A

Disturbance to the system

66
Q

How is a stable equilibrium created?

A

Modest disturbances (perturbations) return the system to equilibrium (negative feedback)

67
Q

What does positive feedback do to perturbation?

A

It increases the effect of perturbatio

68
Q

What is the global carbon cycle important for?

A

Global climate (CO₂, CH₄), global redox (CO₂ and O₂ fixation), evolution of life (all of the above)

69
Q

What is primary productivity?

A

The amount of organic carbon produced per unit time over a unit area of Earth’s surface

70
Q

What is a Giga ton of carbon in metric tons?

A

1 billion metric tons 10¹²

71
Q

Which of reservoir contains most carbon?

A

Limestone in sedimentary rocks (40,000,000Gt C)

72
Q

What is biomass?

A

The total mass of organic carbon living in organisms in a particular reservoir (terrestrial vs marine)

73
Q

Give an example of marine primary producers

A

Phytoplankton (free floating photosyntheic microorganisms) which include diatoms and coccolithophorids)

74
Q

Give an example of marne chemoheterotrophs.

A

Zooplankton (including foraminifera and radiolarians)

75
Q

Give the oxidation part of aerobic respiration

A

C6H12O6 -> 6CO2 + 24e-

76
Q

Give the reduction part of aerobic respiration

A

CO2 + 24e- -> 6H2O

77
Q

What is Gibbs free energy?

A

The change in free energy during a reaction at standard conditions

78
Q

What does negative gibbs energy mean?

A

The reaction is exergonic

79
Q

What does positive gibbs energy mean?

A

The reaction is endergonic

80
Q

Describe the biogeochemical zonation in marine conditions.

A

As depth increases, oxygen decreases, nitrate decreases, Mn2+ increases, Fe2+ increases until it precipitates, FeS2 increases, CH4 increases.

81
Q

How does electron potential relate to gibbs free energy?

A

deltaG=nFdeltaE where F = faraday constant (96.48kJ/V)

82
Q

(L4)

How can we calculate the residence time?

A

Total mass is reservoir/rate of supply (or removal)

83
Q

How do CO2 atmospheric levels stay constant?

A

The input and output are constant

84
Q

What are the seasonal imbalances of CO2?

A

More photosynthesis than respiration during spring. More respiration during winter.

85
Q

What is the relative number of atoms in living phytoplankton?

A

Carbon-106 Nitrogen-16 Phosphorus-1

86
Q

What is the nutrient profile in seawater?

A

Concentrations depleted in the surface, increases with depth

87
Q

Where does regeneration and the biological pump occur?

A

Deep water

88
Q

What processes occur at the ocean surface?

A

Photosynthesis, fecal-pellet production, oxygen production

89
Q

What processes occur in the deep ocean?

A

Respiration (decomposition), release of nutrient and oxygen consumption

90
Q

Where is the oxygen minimum zone and why is it low in oxygen?

A

Between 1 and 1000m from surface. O2 production in photic zone and O2 consumption at depth.

91
Q

Why are oxygen levels so high in deep waters?

A

Because regeneration occurs by cold O2 rich deep waters

92
Q

Globally, where are nutrient concentrations highest and lowest?

A

Lowest in open ocean water and highest in upwelling region or in areas of high coastal runoff.

93
Q

What are the inorganic/oxidised carbon reservoirs?

A

a) CO2 in the oceans
b) atmospheric CO2
c) CO₃²⁻ in the oceans
d) Marine Carbonate sediments
e) HCO₃₋ in the oceans
f) Limestone in sedimentary rocks

94
Q

What happens when CO2 dissolves in seawater?

A

It forms carbonic acid (H2CO3)

95
Q

What influences the distribution of different forms of carbon in the sea (Carbonic acid/bicarbonate/carbonate)?

A

The pH (hydrogen ion concentration)

96
Q

Which form of carbon is dominant in low pHs?

A

Carbonic acid

97
Q

Which form of carbon is dominant in medium pHs?

A

Bicarbonate

98
Q

Which form of carbonate is dominant is high pHs?

A

Carbonate

99
Q

What pH is seawater?

A

8

100
Q

What pH is unpolluted rainwater?

A

5-6

101
Q

How does the ocean buffer itself with the influence of fossil fuels?

A

H₂CO₃ ->H⁺ + HCO₃⁻
H⁺ + CO₃²⁻ -> HCO₃⁻
CO₂ + H₂O + CO₃²⁻ -> 2HCO₃⁻
(precipitation of Carbonate sediments)

102
Q

How do we calculate the saturation of seawater?

A

omega= (Ca²⁺)(CO₃²⁻)/Kₛₚ If Omega >1, seawater is supersaturated and the mineral will precipitate, if its less than 1 then the mineral should disolve.

103
Q

What is the lysocline?

A

The depth at which CaCO₃ dissolution begins

104
Q

What is the calcium compensation depth?

A

The depth at which there is no CaCO₃ preservation

105
Q

What are the long term effects of the inorganic carbon cycle?

A

The formation of carbonate sedimentary rocks

106
Q

What is the equation for chemical weathering?

A

CO₂ + H₂O -> H⁺ + HCO₃⁻

107
Q

What are the products of carbonate weathering?

A

Ca²⁺ and 2HCO₃⁻

108
Q

What are the products of silicate weathering?

A

Ca²⁺ + 2HCO₃⁻ + SiO₂ + H₂O

109
Q

Why is the input and output of the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle the same despite them not being related?

A

Because both temperature and net precipitation relate to CO2. (Inorganic Carbon cycle diagram)

110
Q

(L6)

What is the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus in biomolecules?

A

They are required by all living organisms for the synthesis of essential compounds such as DNA and RNA, amino acids and proteins.

111
Q

What is the ulitimate source and sink of Nitrogen?

A

The atmosphere and loss back to the atmosphere

112
Q

What is the ultimate source of P and sink of P?

A

From minerals and via complex diagenetic cycling in sediments.

113
Q

Where is most nitrogen fixated?

A

On land (7x10^15 moles) and in surfave ocean (1x10^15 moles)

114
Q

How many molecules of ATP are required to reduce atmospheric N2 to N(NH4+)?

A

16

Look at Marine Biological Pump

115
Q

Why is NO3- depleted at the surface?

A

Uptake by organisms.

116
Q

What happens as you increase in depth to the NO3- content?

A

It becomes enriched due to release.

117
Q

What happens to nitrate in sediment?

A

it becomes denitrified

118
Q

What is dentrification?

A

The dominant process by which fixed nitrogen is lost from the biosphere back to the atmosphere

119
Q

Where does dentrification occur?

A

in sub-oxic marine sediments and oxygen minimum zones.

120
Q

What is the electron acceptor for dentrification?

A

Chemoheterotrophic respiration of organic matter with nitrate.

121
Q

Why is nitrogen important for paleo-biogeochemical reconstruction?

A

Because it has two stable isotopes (15N and 14N) and the isotope ratios of Norg reflects cycling processes

122
Q

How is nitrogen stored in soils?

A

Either organically as N2 or as NH4+ incorporated into clays

123
Q

Why does phosphate increase with depth?

A

Because of the biological pump and regeneration in deep waters.

124
Q

Which sea has the higher level of phosphate?

A

Pacific.

125
Q

How is phosphorus taken to the sea floor?

A

With sediment and organic matter (binds strongly to Fe- and Mn- oxides in oxygenated water and sinks

126
Q

What happens to phosphorus in anoxic environments?

Look at Feedbacks between P and O2

A

Phosphate is released into the water column during early diagenesis.

127
Q

Give the positive feedback loop promoting oxygen anoxia

A

Phosphate upwelling -> Primary productivity -> Corg, nutrient export to deep water -> oxygen consumption -> phosphate upwelling

128
Q

Give the negative feedback loop regulating the global phosphorus cycle.

A

Phosphate upwelling -> primary productivity -> Corg, nutrient export to deep water -> Corg burial in sediments -> Net O2 which does not lead to phosphate upwelling

129
Q

Which mineral-nitrogen or phosphate- limits primary productivity the most?

A

Both do, however N has an unlimited resource where P relies on abiotic weathering delivery. REDFIELD RATIO N:P+ 16:1

130
Q

When are N2 fixing organisms at an advantage?

A

When N:P<16 and plenty of trace metals exist.

131
Q

What is the importance of Fe in HNLC (High nutrient low chlorophyll)?

A

Fe is a micro-nutrient, used in enzymes for N2 fixation. High productivity areas receive Fe in the form of dust eg from the Sahara Desert

132
Q

What does limiting the metal ion content do?

A

Increase the drawdown of CO2 in HNLC areas.

Es2003 Earth Science (5 decks)

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