Unit 4: Ecology improved Flashcards
Term: Ecosystem
Definition: A community of living organisms and their abiotic environment.
Term: Autotroph
Definition: An organism that produces its own food through processes like photosynthesis.
Term: (Primary) Producer
Definition: Organisms, usually plants, that produce their own food through photosynthesis.
Term: Heterotroph
Definition: An organism that obtains its energy by consuming other organisms.
Term: Consumer
Definition: Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.
Term: Chemosynthesis*
Definition: The synthesis of organic compounds using energy derived from inorganic chemical reactions.
Term: Respiration
Definition: The process by which cells break down organic compounds to release energy.
Term: Photosynthesis
Definition: The process by which plants and other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy (glucose).
Term: Ecological Pyramid
Definition: A graphical representation of the distribution of energy or biomass among trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Term: Trophic Level
Definition: Each level in a food chain or ecological pyramid, representing a position in the energy flow.
Term: Carnivore
Definition: An organism that primarily feeds on other animals.
Term: Omnivore
Definition: An organism that eats both plants and animals.
Term: Scavenger
Definition: An organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter.
Term: Food Chain
Definition: A linear sequence of organisms, each serving as a source of food for the next.
Term: Food Web
Definition: A complex, interconnected network of food chains in an ecosystem.
Term: Atmosphere
Definition: The layer of gases surrounding the Earth.
Term: Hydrosphere
Definition: All the water on Earth.
Term: Geosphere
Definition: The solid part of the Earth, including the rocks, soil, and land.
Term: Nitrogen Cycle
Definition: The cycling of nitrogen between the atmosphere, soil, and living organisms.
Term: Carbon Cycle
Definition: The cycling of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms.
Term: Combustion
Definition: The process where organic matter burns in the presence of oxygen, releasing heat, light, carbon dioxide, and water.
Term: Decomposer
Definition: Organisms that break down dead organic matter into detritus.
Term: Detritivore*
Definition: Organisms that consume detritus (small pieces of decomposing plant and animal remains).
Term: Herbivore
Definition: An organism that primarily feeds on plants.
