Module 2 Flashcards
A network of interdependent component and processes with materials and energy
flowing from one component to another
System
those that receive inputs from their surroundings and produce outputs that leave the system
Open System
no matter exchanges with the surroundings
Closed System
increase a process or component
Positive Feedback
decrease a process or component
Negative Feedback
Feedback loops helps _____
stabilize systems
DISTURBANCES
Fire
Flooding
Climate Change
Invasion of New Species
Destructive Human Activities
properties that are entirely unexpected and include emergent phenomena in materials and emergent behavior in living creatures.
Emergent Properties
is the ability to return to a previous condition from being in a disturbance
RESILIENCE
adapt to the current condition, not going back to the previous condition
State Shift
A relatively stable state that keeps
population sizes within a sustainable range
Equilibrium
substances that cannot be broken down into simpler forms by ordinary chemical reactions.
Element
the smallest particles that exhibit the characteristics of an element.
Atom
anything that occupies space and has mass
Matter
Principle of Conservation of Matter
matter is neither
CREATED NOR DESTROYED
but rather is recycled
OVER AND OVER AGAIN
% Composition by Mass of
H U M A N B O D Y
O C H N Ca P K
% Composition by Mass of
O C E A N WAT E R
O H Cl Na Mg S Ca
% Composition by Mass of
E A R T H ’ S C R U S T
O Si Al Fe Ca Na K
% Composition by Mass of
AT M O S P H E R E
O N Ar Ca Ne He H
ability to do work
Energy
stored energy that is available for use
Potential Energy
the energy contained in moving objects
Kinetic Energy
Examples of Potential Energy:
Battery
Food we eat
Fuel
Examples of Kinetic Energy:
Riding Bicycle
Wind Mill
Dam
the energy that can be transferred between objects of different temperature.
Heat Energy
deals with how energy is transferred in natural processes
Thermodynamics
energy is conserved; that is, it is neither created nor destroyed under normal conditions
First Law of Thermodynamics
with each successive energy transfer or transformation in a system, less energy is available to do work.
Second Law of Thermodynamics
the synthesis of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using energy derived from reactions involving inorganic chemicals, typically in the absence of sunlight.
Chemosynthesis
are organisms that live in “extreme environments“
Extremophiles
Example of Extremophiles
A colony of tube worms and mussels clusters over a cool, deep-sea methane seep in the Gulf of Mexico.
No Sun, ___
No Life
a fiery ball of exploding hydrogen gas
Sun
the process by which green plants
and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical
energy.
Photosynthesis
Electromagnetic spectrum
10% ultraviolet
45% infrared
45% visible
Who can photosynthesize?
Protists
Bacteria
Plants
Balanced Chemical Formula of Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O > 6O2 + C6H12O6
chlorophyll-containing organelle in eukaryotic organisms; sites of photosynthesis
Chloroplast
a unique green molecule that can absorb light energy and use it to create high-energy chemical bonds in compounds that serve as the fuel for all subsequent cellular metabolism
Chlorophyll
Light-capturing molecules
PIGMENTS
Example of Pigments: Light capturing molecules:
CAROTENE
- Orange
ANTHOCYANIN
- Violet
XANTHOPHYLL - Yellow
it is a metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose and produces ATP
Cellular Respiration
The process of releasing chemical energy that involves splitting carbon and hydrogen atoms from the sugar molecule and recombining them with oxygen to re-create carbon dioxide and water.
Cellular Respiration
occurs in mitochondria.
Cellular Respiration
powerhouse of the cell
Mitochondria
Trophic Level
Tertiary Consumers - Top Carnivores
Secondary Consumers - Carnivores
Primary Consumers - Herbivores
Primary Producers - Autotrophs
Consumers
that feed at all
levels:
Scavengers
Detritivores
Decomposers
Ecological Pyramids Describe Trophic Level
Tertiary Consumers - 0.1%
Secondary Consumers - 1.8%
Primary Consumers
• Decomposers and Detritivores 24.2%
• Herbivores - 16.1%
Producers - 100%
the sequence of transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism
Food Chain
connection of multiple food chains
Food Web
the amount of biomass (biological material) produced in a given area during a given period of time
Productivity
an organism’s feeding status in an ecosystem
Trophic Levels
The ____ is
complex and involves state changes in water as well as the physical movement of water through and between ecosystems
water cycle/ hydrologic cycle
Carbon functions as a structural component of organic molecules and a chemical bond in carbon compounds provide metabolic energy.
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen is mostly found in the atmosphere as nitrogen gas, and it is processed via nitrogen fixation.
Nitrogen cycle
The slowest cycle among the biogeochemical cycles
Phosphorus Cycle
The _____ within the terrestrial portion starts with the weathering of rocks, releasing the stored sulfur.
sulfur cycle
