Jeienej Flashcards
Define producer
Organisms that produce food for themselves and other organisms
Define consumer
An organism that can’t make its own food, so it eats other organisms to survive
Define limiting factors
A factor that limits the growth, distribution, or amount of population in an ecosystem
Define nutrient
A chemical that is essential to living things and is cycled through ecosystems
Define assimilation
The princess of absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other chemicals from food as part of the nutrient of an organism
Define eutrophication
A process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase
Define nutrient cycle
A system where energy and matter are transferred between living organisms and non-living parts of the environment
Define abiotic
The nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Define biotic
The living parts of an ecosystem
Define lithosphere
The “land” sphere, containing things like rocks and dirt
Define biosphere
All the parts of earth where life exists
Define atmosphere
The “air” sphere, a mixture of gasses that surround the earth
Define hydrosphere
The total amount of water in the planet
Define nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is a process that implies the transformation of the relatively non-reactive atmospheric N2 into its more reactive compounds (nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia).
Define eutrophication
A process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase, leading to an increase in the population of primarily producers.
