The Biosphere
What is albedo?
the amount of energy reflected by clouds, water, and land.
What is the ultimate source of energy for all life on Earth?
the sun
Which organisms use chemosynthesis
Microorganisms, like bacteria
Where does cellular respiration occur?
mitochondria
What is productivity?
the rate at which an ecosystem’s producers capture and store energy in a given unit of time.
(OR)
The rate at which organisms produce new biomass
what does biotic and abiotic mean?
biotic: living components of environment
abiotic: non-living
What organisms make up the foundation of food chains/food webs?
producers or autotrophs
What is the chemical equation for photosynthesis? Can be written or described with words.
solar energy + H2O + CO2 --> C6H12O6 + O2
Yes - ALL PLANTS!
What form can plants use nitrogen, sulfur & phosphorus?
Nitrate, sulfate, phosphate
What is the greenhouse effect?
greenhouse gases trap heat within the atmosphere
Each step within a food chain or food web is called a ___.
trophic level
What is the chemical equation for cellular respiration? Can be written or described with words.
C6H12O6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O + ATP
Describe & explain the 2 methods of nitrogen fixation?
1. Lightning: High temperature of a lightning bolt can break bonds of atmospheric nitrogen molecules (N2)
2. Bacteria in soil: convert nitrogen gas into nitrates
Name two greenhouse gases.
carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
food webs show a full network of interactions, while food chains show one pathway through that network
What form of energy does photosynthesis need to occur? What form of energy does it produce?
solar (sun) energy is needed, glucose (chemical energy) is produced
What form of energy does cellular energy need to occur? What form of energy does it produce?
glucose (chemical energy) is needed for it to occur, ATP (other chemical energy) is produced
What is rapid & slow cycling of carbon?
Rapid cycling is the cycling of carbon through organisms.
Slow cycling is when carbon is stored in carbon sinks and isn't easily accessible to organisms.
What is one nonhuman cause of climate change?
changes in solar energy, variations in Earth's orbit, meteorite impacts, changes in the distributions of continents and oceans, mountains, volcanic activity
Name one type of pyramid in ecology other than an energy pyramid.
biomass, numbers
What compound do organisms use to complete chemosynthesis?
Hydrogen sulfide molecules
In what trophic levels do organisms use cellular respiration?
all of them
What does ATP stand for?
adenosine triphosphate