Plate tectonics
a thin layer of cool rock that is known as the surface
Crust
organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
consumer
Molten rock inside the Earth
magma
the process by which plants use energy from the sun to make sugars
photosynthesis
neon, oxygen, and helium are all examples of this state of matter
gas
The name of the supercontinent 200 million years ago
Pangea
a model of the feeding relationships between producers and consumers
food web
natural process that breaks down rocks
weathering
this outer layer of the cell is only found on a plant cell
cell wall
the smallest basic unit of matter
atom
instrument used to detect earthquakes
seismograph
a nonliving physical or chemical part of an ecosystem
abiotic factor
this type of rock forms when pieces of minerals and rocks get pressed together
sedimentary
a type of molecule made up of sugars
carbohydrates
the process of gases becoming a liquid
condensation
a deep valley formed as tectonic plates move apart
Rift valley
a shoreline area where freshwater from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean
estuary
native crystalline carbon that is the hardest known mineral
diamond
a process in which cells use oxygen to release energy
cellular respiration
a substance that consists of two or more different types of atoms bonded together, for example, salt
compound
a boundary along which two tectonic plates move apart
divergent boundary
trees that drop their leaves as winter approaches
Deciduous
molten rock that cools inside Earth hardens slowly forming rocks that have large minerals
intrusive rock
the process by which cells release energy without oxygen
fermentation
when a solid changes directly into a gas
sublimation