Chapter 5 Flashcards
(17 cards)
photosynthesis
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
producer
an organism that produces organic compounds from simple substances such as water and carbon dioxide
consumer
an organism that derives the organic compounds and energy it needs from the consumption of other organisms; a heterotroph.
decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
cellular respiration
Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert chemical energy from oxygen molecules or nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products.
food chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
food web
a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.
trophic level
each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.
carbon cycle
the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
nitrogen fixing bacteria
microorganisms capable of transforming atmospheric nitrogen into fixed nitrogen that is usable by plants.
nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems.
phosphorus cycle
The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
ecological succession
Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.
primary succession
Primary succession occurs when new land is formed or bare rock is exposed, providing a habitat that can be colonized for the first time.
secondary succesion
is one of the two types ecological succession of a plants life.
pioneer species
is one of the two types ecological succession of a plants life.
climax community
An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment.
