chpt.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. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.
producer
a person, company, or country that makes, grows, or supplies goods or commodities for sale.
consumer
a person who purchases goods and services for personal use.
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
Nitrogen fixation is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen is converted by either a natural or an industrial means to a form of nitrogen such as ammonia. In nature, most nitrogen is harvested from the atmosphere by microorganisms to form ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates that can be used by plants.
nitrogen cycle
the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition.
phosphorus cycle
Phosphorus cycles through plants and animals much faster than it does through rocks and sediments. When animals and plants die, phosphates will return to the soils or oceans again during decay. After that, phosphorus will end up in sediments or rock formations again, remaining there for millions of years.
ecological succession
Ecological succession is the process that describes how the structure of a biological community (that is, an interacting group of various species in a desert, forest, grassland, marine environment, and so on) changes over time
primary succession
In primary succession, newly exposed or newly formed rock is colonized by living things for the first time
secondary succession
n secondary succession, an area that was previously occupied by living things is disturbed, then re-colonized following the disturbance.
pioneer species
The term pioneer is used to describe the species that first colonize new habitats created by disturbance. Although the term is usually applied to plants, microbial and invertebrate pioneer species are also sometimes recognized.
climax community
An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment. A climax community is the final stage of succession, remaining relatively unchanged until destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference.
