topic 1 Flashcards
French
environner which means to encircle or
surround.
environment
systematic study of our
environment and our proper
place in it.
Environmental Science
highly interdisciplinary that
integrates natural sciences,
social sciences, and humanities
in a broad, holistic study of the
world around us and is mission-oriented
Environmental Science
branch of
engineering that aims to improve the
quality of environment and promotes
protection of people from adverse
environmental effects like pollution.
Environmental engineering
ancient
cities, the availability of a ________
supply became a defensive necessity
reliable water
engineers who
built facilities for the civilian population
began to distinguish themselves from
the engineers primarily engaged in
matters of warfare
civil engineers
scientific study of relationships
between organisms and their
environment
ecology
The foundations of organisms
are the __________
carbon-based (organic)
compounds.
Everything that takes up space and
has mass.
matter
4 states of matter
solid, liquid, gas, plasma
Substances that cannot be broken
down into simpler forms by ordinary
chemical reactions.
elements
how many known elements are there
122 known
92 natural
30 man made
Four Elements responsible for
more than 96% of the mass of most
living organisms
OXYGEN, CARBON,
HYDROGEN & NITROGEN
- Smallest particles that exhibit the
characteristics of an element.
atoms
have
approximately the same mass and
they are clustered in the nucleus in
the center of the atom.
PROTONS AND NUETRONS
smaller compare to
the other particles. They orbit the
nucleus at the speed of light
electrons
is the
characteristic number of protons
per atom.
atomic number
sum of protons
and neutrons.
atomic mass
forms of an element
that differ in atomic mass
isotopes
substances
composed of different kinds of
atoms
compounds
pair or group of
atoms that can exist as a single unit.
molecules
- When atoms gain or lose electrons,
it acquires a negative or positive
electrical charge.
ions
-Negatively charged
ions
anion
-Positively charged ion
cation
substances that readily
give up hydrogen ions in water.
acids
substances that readily
bond with H+ ions
bases
measure of acidity
ph
foundation of living organisms
organic compounds
four major categories of organic compounds
lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids
carry information between
cells, tissues, and organs and the sources
of intracellular energy.
nucleotides
long chains of nucleotides (2)
DNA and RNA
essential for storing and expressing
genetic information
DNA and RNA
Minute compartments within which the
processes of life are carried out.
cells
organisms with single cell
unicellular
examples od unicellular organisms
Bacteria, some algae, and protozoa
special class of proteins
that carry out all the chemical reactions
required to create various structures and provide energy and materials
to carry out cell functions
enzymes
multitude of
enzymatic reactions performed by an
organism.
metabolism
ability to do work, such as
moving matter over a distance
or causing a heat transfer
between two objects at
different temperatures.
energy (measured by heat)
types of energy
kinetic, potential, mechanical, chemical, heat
energy contained in
moving objects
Kinetic Energy
stored energy that is
dormant but available for us
Potential Energy
stored in the food
that you eat and the gasoline that you
put into your car
chemical energy
energy that can be
transferred between objects of different
temperature
heat
work done
when one kg is accelerated at
one meter per second per
second.
Joule
amount of
energy needed to heat one
gram of pure water one degree
Celsius.
calorie
study that deals with the
transfer of energy in natural
processes.
Thermodynamics
deals with the rates of flow
and the transformation of
energy from one form or quality
to another
Thermodynamics
- organisms that
have been discovered on Earth
that survive in environments
that were once thought not to
be able to sustain life
(extremophiles
extremophiles get energy through
chemosynthesis.
process
in which bacteria use chemical
bonds between inorganic
elements, such as hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) or hydrogen gas
(H2), to provide energy for
synthesis of organic molecules
chemosynthesis.
- essential to life.
solar energy
converts radiant energy
into high-quality chemical energy in the
bonds that hold together organic
molecules
Photosynthesis
scientific study of
relationships between organisms and
their environment
ECOLOGY
– refers to all organisms of the
same kind that are genetically similar
enough to breed in nature and produce
live, fertile offspring.
species
consists of all the
members of a species living in a given
area at the same time
population
All of the
populations living and interacting in a
particular area.
Biological Community
(Ecological system) is
composed of a biological community and
its physical environment. The
environment includes:
ecosystem
nonliving components
such as climate, water, minerals, and
sunligh
Abiotic factors
examples are
organisms and their products
(secretions, wastes, and remains) and
effects in a given area.
Biotic factors
One of the major properties of an
ecosystem
Productivity
biological
matter
biomass
- Two types of productivity:
primary and secondary
A linked feeding series.
food chain
Interconnection of individual food
chains.
food web
From the Greek trophe which means
“food”.
trophic
An organism’s feeding status in an
ecosystem
Trophic Level
Organisms that photosynthesize,
mainly green plants and algae.
Producers
Organisms that clean up dead carcasses
of larger animals such as crows, jackals,
and vultures.
Scavengers
Consume litter, debris, and dung such
as ants and beetles.
Detritivores
Organisms that complete the final
breakdown and recycling of organic
materials such as fungi and bacteria.
Decomposer
graphical representation of the
relationship between different
organisms in an ecosystem
Ecological Pyramids
number of organisms in
each trophic level without any
consideration for their size.
Pyramid of numbers
- Presents the total mass of organisms at
each trophic level.
-largest at the
bottom and gets smaller going up, but
exceptions do exist.
Pyramid of biomass
Presents the total amount of energy
present at each trophic level, as well as
the loss of energy between trophic
levels. and most widely used type of ecological pyramid
Pyramid of productivity
-path of water through our
environment.
-most familiar material cycle.
Hydrologic Cycle
water is heated by the sun, surface
molecules become sufficiently energized
to break free of the attractive force
binding them together
Evaporation
Water vapor is also emitted from plant
leaves by a process called t
Transpiration
Condensation
water vapor rises, it cools and
eventually condenses, usually on tiny
particles of dust in the air
in the form of rain,
snow and hail comes from clouds.
precipitation
Excessive rain or snowmelt can produce
overland flow to creeks and ditches
runoff
-Some of the precipitation and snow
melt moves downwards percolates or
infiltrates through cracks, joints and
pores in soil and rocks until it reaches
the water table where it becomes
groundwater
Percolation
Subterranean water is held in cracks
and pore spaces
groundwater
the level at which
water stands in a shallow well.
water level
begins with
the intake of carbon dioxide by
photosynthetic organisms.
carbon cycle
make up
78% of our atmosphere.
nitrogen gas
only
_________ and _______ can
be used directly by plants
NO3 and NH4
most important
among the many elements released
to ecosystem from rock formations
because it is often limited in supply.
Phosphorus Cycle
essential
component of all cells
Phosphorus
key
component of proteins, enzymes,
and tissues.
Phosphorus
