Term
|
Definition
| Anything that takes up space and has mass |
|
|
Term
| Law of conservation of mass |
|
Definition
| Matter cannot be created or destroyed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A chemical substance that an organism must obtain for its environment to live and reproduce |
|
|
Term
| What is the difference between energy and matter in ecosystems? |
|
Definition
| Energy flows through an ecosystem; matter cycles within an ecosystem |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The exchange of matter through the biosphere using living organisms, geological and chemical processes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When water is changed from a liquid to the gas water vapor |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When water vapor is cooled and it changes back into the liquid form of water |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The evaporation of water from plants |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When liquid or frozen water falls from clouds |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When liquid water moves across the land and flows into bodies of water like lakes and oceans |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The movement of water from the surface of the earth into the soil |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An underground reservoir of water |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A process performed by plants and other organisms that removes carbon dioxide from the air and uses it to make sugar |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A process performed by all living cells where sugars are broken down to make carbon dioxide and energy. It returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Fossil fuels like oil, coal, gas, peat; also certain rocks like limestone |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process of removing nitrogen gas from the air and converting it into forms that cells can use |
|
|
Term
| Which organisms can do nitrogen fixation |
|
Definition
| Bacteria in the soil and associated with the roots of some plants |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Plants like beans that have symbiotic bacteria living in their roots; the bacteria fix nitrogen |
|
|
Term
| How do organisms like animals get their nitrogen? |
|
Definition
| They eat plants, or animals that have eaten plants. |
|
|
Term
| How does nitrogen return to the soil? |
|
Definition
| When organisms produce waste, when their dead bodies decompose |
|
|
Term
| How does nitrogen return to the atmosphere? |
|
Definition
| Bacteria cells perform a process called denitrification convert fixed nitrogen back into the gas form |
|
|
Term
| Where is most phosphorous on Earth? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How is this phosphorous release? |
|
Definition
| Weathering and erosion of rocks |
|
|
Term
| How do organisms obtain phosphorous |
|
Definition
| Producers or plants take up phosphorous and animals get it by eating the plants or the animals that eat the plants |
|
|
Term
| Short term phosphorous cycle |
|
Definition
| Phosphates in water are take up by producers, moves to consumers and is returned to the water by decomposition |
|
|
Term
| Long term phosphorous cycle |
|
Definition
| Phosphorous is slowly released from rocks by weathering. It returns to long term storage when new sedimentary rocks are formed |
|
|
Term
| What is one common feature of all the cycles? |
|
Definition
| They all depend on plants; the water cycle has transpiration, the carbon cycle has photosynthesis, the nitrogen cycle has N fixation by bacteria associated with legumes; the phosphorous cycle depends on uptake by plants |
|
|
Term
| What is a second feature that is common to all the cycles? |
|
Definition
| They all depend on decomposition to return components from living things to the soil - even the water cycle |
|
|
Term
| What is a third common feature of the cycles? |
|
Definition
| They all have a short term cycle that functions near the surface of the planet. Three of the cycles (water, carbon and phosphorous) have long term cycles that involve storage usually deep in the Earth |
|
|
Term
| What is the composition of gases in our atmosphere? |
|
Definition
| 78% nitrogen gas, 21% oxygen, and 0.04% carbon dioxide, and other minor gasses |
|
|
