biology Flashcards
mans impact (9 cards)
describe the biological consequences of pollution of the air by carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is formed through incomplete combustion of fuels (not enough o2). Carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin in red blood cells and reduces their capacity to carry oxygen. This means individual suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning may not be able to carry out enough aerobic respiration, so may not be able to acquire enough energy.
what are all the greenhouse gases?
methane, co2, CFCs, water vapour, nitrous oxide
what is the greenhouse gas affect on earth causes by greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases create a layer around the earth which traps in heat from the sun, preventing it from escaping
Back out into space, how it works:
-sunlight enters the earth’s atmosphere (some enters the earth’s surface which makes it warmer)
-earth reflects the heat as infrared rays
-greenhouse gases absorb and trap some heat
-earth’s temperature then rises
how do humans contribute to greenhouse gases?
Activities like transportation (cars, planes), burning coal, operating factories that burn fossil fuels, driving gasoline and diesel powered transport, deforestation (trees absorb CO2 for photosynthesis, but when forests are cut down they can’t do that so there is more CO2), farming activities release
Methane
how does an increase of greenhouse gases result in an enhances greenhouse affect that may lead to global warming?
Absorbtion of heat- greenhouse gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere by absorbing Infared rays emitted from the planet’s surface
Reduced heat escape- normally, some of the heat escapes into space, but high level of greenhouse gases prevent more heat from leaving, causing the atmosphere to warm.
Increased surface temperatures- with more trapped heat, earths average temperature rises, leading to global warming
Climate changes- higher temperatures disrupt weather patterns, cause ice caps to melt, and contribute to rising sea levels and extreme weather events
what are the consequences of global warming?
Rising temperatures, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, ocean changes, extreme weather events, impact on food supply, human health risk
what are the biological consequences of pollution of water by sewage?
It affects aquatic and human life, increases spread of disease, reduction of oxygen in water which can kill fish and aquatic life (sewage contains organic matter that bacteria break down consuming oxygen in the process) , poor water quality
what is meant by an indicator species and explain how they can be used by humans in the management of pollution
An indicator species is where you have an organism that is sensitive to something so we don’t have to use chemicals to find if something is clean, so if there is a specific plant or animal growing/thriving in a certain place then you know its clean because it wouldn’t be able to grow in dirty places, they help us identify if an area is dirty or clean.
what are the effects of deforestation, including leaching, soil erosion, and the disturbance of evapotranspiration. information about the impact of carbon cycle and the balance of atmospheric gases that are not required at this stage
Leeching- trees and plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots, when they are removed, the soil loses its ability to retain nutrients. Without the roots binding nutrients, rainwater washes away
Minerals, this can lead to nutrient poor soil and water pollution
