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conditions for life on earth Flashcards

(59 cards)

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1
Q

albedo

A

the fraction of light that a surface reflects

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2
Q

insolation

A

the amount of exposure to solar radiation

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3
Q

carbon sequestration

A

the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it elsewhere

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4
Q

transpiration

A

the process of water movement through a plant and its evapouration from stems and leaves

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5
Q

photoautotroph

A

all organisms that can make their own energy using light and carbon dioxide via the process of photosynthesis

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6
Q

atmosphere

A

the mixture of gases surrounding our earth

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7
Q

magnetosphere

A

the region around the earth which is dominated by the magnetic field

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8
Q

how old is the earth

A

4.6 billion years old

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9
Q

how was earth formed

A

gravity pulled rock fragments in space together<br></br>the huge amount of energy absourbed when the rocks joined created heat and produced a ball of moltern rock<br></br>the surface gradually cooled and this produced a surface crust of solid rock

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10
Q

what are the physical features of earth suitable for

A

the eventual development of life

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11
Q

what is the goldilocks zone

A

a zone where it is not too hot or too cold and perfect for liquid water (such as on earth or mars)

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12
Q

solar insolation

A

a suitable temperature range, which is controlled by incoming absouption and is controlled by the surface albedo and absourption of infa-red energy

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13
Q

what does distance from the sun mean

A

the optimum temperatured produced on earth which would be suitable for life. if the conditions aren’t suitable, such as being too close or too far away from the sun means that enzymes could denature and it can prevent liquid water from being present

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14
Q

influence of temperature

A

the axis of rotation is at an angle to its orbit around the sun, which produces seasonal variations in conditions as the earth orbits the sun

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15
Q

speed of rotation

A

the 24 hour period of rotation of earth around its axis will reduce temperature extremes

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16
Q

what are the layers of the earth

A

crust<br></br>asthenosphere<br></br>mantle<br></br>outer core<br></br>inner core

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17
Q

why can mars not retain heat and earth can

A

due to the greenhouse effect

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18
Q

the development of an atmosphere created atmospheric pressure, how does this help the conditions for life on earth

A

helps with temperature regulation<br></br>helps to keep gases on earth (if they aren’t present then it will create an extremely cold night, like mars)<br></br>prevents liquid from boiling

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19
Q

which layer of the earth is responsible for producing the earth’s magnetic field

A

outer core

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20
Q

how is the earth’s magnetic field providing suitable conditions for life on earth

A

it deflects solar and wind and prevents biologically damaing radiation from reaching the earth’s surface

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21
Q

explain how the magnetosphere helps to create suitable conditions for life on earth

A

harmful solar radiation / winds will be reflected and it stops the loss of atmosphere

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22
Q

hydrothermal vents

A

fissures on seabed that produce gethermally (earth) heated water

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23
Q

denature

A

a process that causes enzymes and proteins to lose their molecular structure

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24
Q

protein syntheses

Study These Flashcards
A

the production of proteins in living organisms

25
lipids
compounds that are insoluble in water such as fats and oils
26
specific heat capacity
the energy required to raise one kilogram of a material by one degree celcius
27
transpiration
loss of water in the form of water vapour, mainly from the stomata in leaves, but also through evapouration from sufaces of leaves, flowers and stems
28
carbon sequestration
the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide
29
carbonate rocks
rocks that contain the carbonate mineral, such as chalk
30
what is a temperature range
most areas on earth have temperatures between 0 degrees and 35 degrees, so most areas are warm enough to have liquid water, but not warm enough to denature proteins
31
what are atmospheric gases
carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and the synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. alos nitrogen is used for protein synthesis
32
what is solvent water
where most chemical reactions in living organisms take place as they are dissolved in water
33
why is water important for organisms to function
it performs essential physiological functions and it can transport materials within organisms
34
how does water control temperature
through evapouration. this absoubs the heat which causes for the temperature to decline
35
what is the anomalous expansion of water when frozen important for life on earth
water is the most dense at 4 degrees, so when water is colder, it will float and this will stop the convection current that would cool the water body
36
why is having a high specific heat capacity important
water warms up and cools down slowly so it helps to moderate the rate and size of the temperature change, making sure that the climate doesn't go really cold
37
give an example of aquatic habitat created by the presence of water
oceans and seas
38
before life on earth, there was no ozone layer protecting the earth's surface from the uv radiation. how did the presence of water help create stable conditions for organisms when the uv radiation was so high
the uv was absoubed in the stratosphere
39
what is atmospheric oxygen
by 2.7 billion years ago, some of the archea in the oceans had developed the ability to photosynthesise to release oxygen, so for millions of years all of the oxygen that was produced reacted with the iron in the oceans, however once all of the iron had reacted, the surpless dissolved the oxygen built up in the oceans and much of this was released into the atmosphere, which resulted in the formation of the ozone layer, which would absourb the harmful radiation. the time period when the oxygen in the atmosphere was building up lasted until about 450 million years ago and this was called the proterozoic, where more complex aerobic organisms developed 
40
what is the proterozoic
the time period when the oxygen in the atmosphere was building up lasted up until (540 million years ago)
41
what is a lipid
molecules that play a fundimental role in our body, a source of stored energy, aiding the absouption of vitimins
42
nitrogen synthesis
3% of the human body and is not all stored in the same place
43
how did early life affect carbon sequestration
photosynthetic organisms: photoautographs, absourbed by carbon dioxide and some of this was stored in geological sediments such as carbinate rocks and fossil fuels
44
how is carbon sequestration important for life on earth
due to the reduction of carbon dioxide levels, it helps to prevent long term temperature increases and moderate climate, even though the brightness of the sun increases
45
how did early life affect biogeothermal cycles
as a variety of different organisms evolved, inter-connected biological processes produced biochemical cycles, such as the carbon or nitrogen cycle
46
why is biogeothermal cycles important for life on earth
relitively small amounts of nutrient elements could support life over long periods, without depleating the resources
47
how did early life affect transpiration
it returns water vapour back into the atmosphere, which increases the amount of rainfall
48
why is transpiration important for life on earth
plants and animals need water to survive and evolve and it will help promote the growth of more plant life
49
reliable
provides consitent accurate data
50
accurate
a meausre of how close the recorded result is to the real result
51
representative
a sample that accurately reflects the entire population
52
proxy data
involves making an estimate about one factor that can't be mesured by using a related factor
53
why is proxy data used
when measurements cannot be taken
54
how is the presence of pollen of species used to monitor past conditions
it indicates the climate that was present when it was produced. pollen grains can become preserved in lake sediments
55
how is dendrochronology used to monitor past conditions
the width of the tree ring shows the growth rate and may indicate the temperature of the time that it was laid down. the larger the width of the tree ring, the warmer the year
56
what is a limitation of using early methods to monitor past collection
there is a lack of ancient historical data (eg: dendrochronology is 10,000 years old)
limited data collection in many areas (eg: oak is limited to europe)
proxy data for ancient conditions is limited in terms of reliability (eg: alder / pine rings aren't always anual)
limited coordinationbetween researchers
lack of sophisticated equaipment for accurate measurements
57
what is collection of long-term data sets
marine sediments can obtain climate data from tens of millions of years ago, meaning that it is very accurate as there is no chance of weathering
58
what is gas analysis of ice cores
air bubbles trapped in ice provide direct measurements of atmospheric composition up to 400,000 years ago
59
what is isotope analysis of ice cores
ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 can be used to date samples more accurately, since carbon-14 is radioactive, the decay is predictable over time
young organic matter has more carbon-14, than older organic matter

environmental science (7 decks)

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