Week 1 Textbook Readings: The Movement of Energy Flashcards
Biosphere
The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth
Cellular respiration
The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds
Aerobic respiration
The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water
Anaerobic respiration
The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen
Detritivore
An organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles
Trophic levels
The successive levels of organisms consuming one another
Decomposers
Fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem
Gross primary productivity (GPP)
The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
Net primary productivity (NPP)
The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire
Standing crop
The amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time
Ecological efficiency
The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one tropic level to another
Trophic pyramid
A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels
