Energy and Matter Exchange in the Biosphere

    Cards (33)

    • Dynamic Equilibrium describes any system with constant change in which the components can adjust to the changes without disturbing the entire system.
    • Biotic Components are the biological or living things of the biosphere.
    • Abiotic Components are the non-living organisms of the biosphere.
    • Population is a group of of individuals of the same species occupying a given area at a certain time.
    • Community is the populations of all species occupy a habitat.
    • Ecosystem is a community and its physical and chemical environment.
    • Biodiversity is the number of species in an ecosystem.
    • Food Chain is a sequence of linking organisms that feed on each other, starting with a food source and continuing in order with each consumer.
    • Producer is an autotroph; an organism that makes its own food.
    • Consumer is a hetetroph; an organism that must eat producers or other consumers to survive.
    • Indicator Species is a species sensitive to small changes in environmental conditions.
    • Herbivore is an animal that eats only plants.
    • Carnivore is an animal that feeds only other animals.
    • Omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and other animals.
    • Detritus is a waste from plants and animals, including their dead remains.
    • Decomposer is an organism that feeds on detritus, and convert it into simpler compounds.
    • Habitat is a place or type of environment with conditions suitable for the survival of an organism or population of organisms.
    • Scavenger is an organism that feeds on dead organisms or the waste of organisms.
    • Ultraviolet Radiation is a electromagnetic radiation from the Sun that can cause burning of the skin (sunburn) and cellular mutations.
    • Ozone is an inorganic molecules found in stratosphere helps to screen out ultraviolet radiation.
    • Trophic Level is a category of living things defined by how it gains its energy; the first trophic level contains autotrophs; and each higher level contains heterotrophs.
    • Heterotroph is an organism that is incapable of making its own food and so must feed on other organisms to gain energy.
    • Food Web is a representation of the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.
    • Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use solar energy, carbon dioxide, and water to produce carbohydrates.
    • Chemosynthesis is the process by which non-photosynthetic organisms convert inorganic chemicals to organic compounds without solar energy.
    • Cellular Respiration is the process by which cells break down glucose into carbon dioxide and water, releasing energy.
    • Thermodynamics is a scientific study of energy transformations, described by laws.
    • 1st Law of Thermodynamics states that although energy can be transformed from one form to another; it cannot be destroyed or created.
    • 2nd Law of Thermodynamics states that during any energy transformation, some of the energy converted into an unusable form, mostly thermal energy, which cannot be passed on.
    • Numbers is the total numbers of organisms in each trophic levels.
    • Biomass is a mass of dry tissue of organisms at trophic level.
    • Energy is based on energy produced in each trophical level.
    • Ecological Pyramid is a representation of energy flow in food chains and food webs.