Water Cycle
Rain, snow, sleet, hail are examples of
Precipitation
What percentage of the earth's atmosphere is made up of nitrogen?
78-80
What are organic compounds?
compounds that contain carbon
This substance is required by all living things
water
Why must matter be recycled on earth?
There is a limited supply
When water vapor forms into clouds
condensation
How do animals get the nitrogen they need?
Eating plants or other animals
This process, utilized by plants to make food, is the basis of the carbon cycle.
photosynthesis
This "sugar" is produced by plants
glucose
What happens to substances in an organisms body when it dies?
They decompose and are recycled back in to the soil
When precipitation falls to earth, it flows in the form of
runoff
How is nitrogen "fixed" in the soil?
by bacteria on the roots of plants
Animals release carbon through respiration in the form of
carbon dioxide
This is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere
nitrogen
How do humans impact the carbon cycle?
burning fossil fuels, deforestation
This is caused when the sun warms surface water
evaporation
How is nitrogen in the air "fixed"?
by lightning
This type of organisms release carbon back into the environment by breaking down wastes and dead organisms
decomposers
This gas is exahaled during respiration
carbon dioxide
What is the driving force of the water cycle?
the sun
This forms on plants or other objects on a cool morning
dew
What do animals use nitrogen for?
building proteins and DNA
The process of releasing organic molecules through burning is called
combustion
Any molecule that contains carbon is considered an
organic compound
Are decomposers more like producers or consumers and why?
consumers because they rely on another organism, even if it is deceased, for their food