Science - Bio Flashcards
sustain
to allow something to continue for a long period of time.
What is the greatest threat to sustaining life forms on earth?
human impact
ecosystem
all the organisms in an area that interact with each other and their environment of energy and matter.
detritus
waste from plants and animals, including their dead remains.
decomposers
organisms that feed on detritus and releasing nutrients to the soil.
trophic level
energy level
autotroph
self producer of energy
heterotroph
a consumer of energy.
Why are pyramids used to represent three things in Biology?
The base is wide and it narrows towards the top, showing a decrease.
Pyramid of Numbers
the number of organisms at each level of the food chain. (decreases as you go up)
Pyramid of Energy
the amount of energy at each level. (decreases as you go up)
What is the 10% Law of Energy Transfer
Only about10% of food energy is converted to new tissue and is transferred to the next consumer.
Pyramid of Biomass
The total mass of a population of an organism in an area. (decreases as you go up).
population
a group of the same species in a particular area, at a certain time.
carrying capacity
the largest population of a species that an environment can support.
Limiting factors that determine the carrying capacity?
predators, climate, disease, water, pollution, competition, parasites.
productivity
the average amounts of new plant biomass produced each year in a given area.
climate
determines the amount of plant growth:
warmth (temp), rainfall, and soil
monoculture
growing a single crop in a large are of land.
biological magnification
an increase in the amount of harmful chemical as you go up the levels in the food chain.
why has the global human population increased dramatically in the last century?
drop in the death rate from improved health care, sanitation, and food production.
What does it mean for earth to be a “closed system”?
no new matter enters or leaves
organic matter
substances that contain the elements carbon joined to hydrogen. e.g.. sugars, fat, protein DNA
inorganic matter
substances that do not contain carbon joined to hydrogen. eg. water, salts, minerals.
biotic
living parts of the environment
abiotic
non-living parts of the environment
equation for photosynthesis?
CO2+H2O+Light(reactants)—-> C6h12O6+O2(products)
or
carbon dioxide+water+light—->
glucose+oxygen
equation for cellular respiration?
O2+ C6H12O6(reactants)—–>
CO2+H20+Energy(products
or
oxygen+glucose——>
carbon dioxide+water+energy
How does CO2 cause the temperature to increase?
The CO2 gets trapped in the atmosphere, making it bigger, and warming the earth.
moulans
fresh mountain water tunnelling down to the ground.
biome
a region of the world with a distinct climate, and unique plants and animals.
What factors determine the climate?
latitude (distance from the equator), location in relation to the oceans, and local geography.
What are the 7 major biomes?
tundra, coniferous forest, savanna, desert, grassland, deciduous forest, rainforest
How is acid rain form?
SO2 from fossil fuels, and NO/NO2 from cars combine with water in the air and eventually return to earth.
littoral zone
the area from the lakeshore to where plants rooted in the bottom of the lake can no longer be found.
limnetic zone
are of the open lake where there is enough light for photosynthesis to occur.
profundal zone
the region beneath the limnetic zone, where there is not enough light for photosynthesis to occur.
describe an oligotrophic lake
deep and cold, low nutrient levels, and water is usually very clear.
describe a eutrophic lake
shallow and warm, excellent supply of nutrients, water often murky.
epilimnion
the upper level of a lake, which warms up
hypolimnion
lower level, remains at a low temperature
thermocline
in between, a narrow zone which the temperature drops rapidly from warm to cold.
biodiversity
the number of species in an ecosystem
evaporation
liquid to gas
precipitation
h20 returning to the earths surface
transpiration
water loss from plants
sublimation
solid to gas
condensation
gas to liquid (forms clouds)
aquifer
stored ground water (<1%)
carrion
dead animals
