Phosphorus Flashcards
(27 cards)
What does kinase mean?
an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to a specified molecule
What is an organic compound?
Always contain carbon
What is an inorganic compound?
Does not contain carbon
What does assimilation mean?
Uptake by living organisms into its biomass (basically take into its body)
What does mineralization mean?
Release of the inorganic form?
What form does P usually exist in and how does it affect its movement?
Most P exists in a solid form, and enters into active cycling through weathering
What is mechanical weathering?
“breaking something into smaller pieces”. ie wind mechanically weathers rocks into smaller pieces
What is chemical weathering?
Change in the chemical structure of the material. accomplished by acids and/or oxidation
What is weathering rate impacted by?
temperature/moisture
location/climate/acidity
biota/living things accelerating weathering
What is the relationship between mechanical weathering and chemical weathering?
The more mechanical weathering, the more chemical weathering b/c mechanical weathering increases the surface area
What does it mean for phosphorus to be occluded?
The phosphorus is half onto the organic matter through charge attraction, and this phosphorus is free to enter/leave the soil solution. But, Fe and Al make sort of a shell around the phosphorus so it cannot leave.
Occluded means its deposited onto something and it cannot leave
What is chelation?
a chemical compound that binds tightly to metal ions. able to complex with metal, making the metal more soluble
Much more P is moved in _____ form than in ____ form
particulate, dissolved
How is P so efficiently recycled in the ocean?
-fewer losses to Adsorption
-there is preferential uptake by biota
-Fe is otherwise occupied
Why is the residence time of inorganic phosphorus much longer in the deep ocean than it is in the surface ocean?
Only certain biota are able to adsorb the inorganic phosphorus
What is the halocline?
Halocline is the stratification of ocean water by salt level difference in ocean. the higher [salt], the denser the water
What are some contributors to the variation in ocean salinity?
evaporation : h2o leaves behind salt therefore increasing [salt]
precipitation : rain dilutes ocean water therefore decreasing [salt]
freezing/melting : freezing increases [salt], melting decreases [salt]
What is the thermocline?
The transition layer between the warmer mixed water at the surface and the cooler deep water below
What is thermocline stratification?
Deep ocean water currents that are being circulated by differences in water density
What is upwelling?
Movement of cold, deep, often nutrient rich water to the surface
What is downwelling?
Occurs when surface water becomes more dense and sinks to the bottom. Downwelling occurs when sucrose waters converge, pushing the surface water down
Describe the internal cycling of P within the oceans
Active P in the deep sea remains for an avg of 500 years until it is physically upwelled to the surface of the ocean where it blooms; available to be reacted with
What does oligotrophic mean?
clear water with little organic matter/sediment and minimum biological activity. few sources of nutriton
what does eutrophic mean?
rooted plant growth is abundant along the shore and in lake and algal blooms. water clarity os poor. if deep enough to stratify, bottom water is devoid of water. lots of nutrition available
