Ecology
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) interacting with each other and their physical environment (air, water, soil).
What is the process by which plants release oxygen into the atmosphere?
Photosynthesis
What unit is energy measured in?
Energy is measured in joules (J).
What is the charge of a proton?
The charge of a proton is +1.
What is an antibiotic?
An antibiotic is a type of medication used to treat bacterial infections by killing bacteria or inhibiting their growth.
What is a producer in a food chain?
A producer is an organism, usually a plant or algae, that makes its own food through photosynthesis.
How does burning fossil fuels contribute to climate change?
Burning fossil fuels releases CO₂, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, increasing global warming?
What is the law of conservation of energy?
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted from one form to another.
What is the atomic number of an element?
The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
What is a pathogen?
A pathogen is a microorganism (bacteria, virus, fungi, or protozoa) that causes disease in a host organism.
Describe two ways a bear can adapt to survive in cold environments.
Bears have thick fur or fat layers for insulation, or they can hibernate to conserve energy during the cold months
What is meant by the term “carbon footprint”?
The total amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions caused by an individual, organization, or activity
What is specific heat capacity?
pecific heat capacity is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C.
How is the mass number of an atom calculated?
The mass number is calculated by adding the number of protons and neutrons in the atom’s nucleus.
What is in a vaccine?
A dead, weakened or the antigen of a pathogen
What is meant by the term ‘niche’?
A niche is the specific role or function of an organism within its ecosystem, including how it gets its food, its interactions with other organisms, and how it responds to environmental conditions.
How has the composition of the Earth's atmosphere changed over geological time?
The early atmosphere was mostly carbon dioxide, with little oxygen. Over time, plants began photosynthesis, releasing oxygen. Oxygen levels increased, and carbon dioxide levels decreased.
Explain the energy changes when you drop an object from a height.
As the object falls, gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
How many electrons can the second electron shell hold?
The second electron shell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons.
What is herd immunity?
Herd immunity occurs when a large proportion of the population becomes immune to a disease (through vaccination or previous infection), reducing the spread of the disease and protecting those who are not immune.
How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle and global warming?
Deforestation reduces the number of trees available to absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. As trees are cut down and burned, carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere, increasing greenhouse gases and contributing to global warming.
What type of electromagnetic waves enter the Earth's atmosphere and which type of electromagnetic waves a reabsorbed due to the green house gas layer
Shorter high frequency waves enter, longer lower frequency waves are reabsorbed
What is it meant that something has 'high efficiency'
High efficiency means more energy is converted into useful work, while low efficiency means more energy is lost to undesirable forms, such as heat.
What is an isotope? How are isotopes of an element different from each other?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
How do viruses replicate in a host cell?
The virus injects its genetic material (DNA or RNA) into the host cell, hijacking the cell's processes to make copies of itself.