| A | B |
|---|
| biosphere | narrow zone around earth that holds life |
| biotic | living parts of biosphere |
| abiotic | nonliving parts of biosphere |
| population | group of same species in a given area at a certain time |
| community | populations of all species that occupy a habitat |
| ecosystem | community and its physical and chemical environment |
| atmosphere | air that surrounds the earth |
| troposphere | lowest region of the atmosphere |
| stratosphere | region of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer |
| ozone | screens out ultraviolet radiation |
| mesosphere | outer region of the atmosphere |
| albedo | how much a surface can reflect light |
| biogeochemical cycle | transfer of nutrients from environment to an organism and back |
| photosynthesis | process by which plants make food (glucose) |
| hydrologic cycle | movement of water through the environment |
| transpiration | loss of water from plants |
| respiration | loss of water from animals |
| carbon cycle | movement of carbon through the environment |
| carbon dioxide | gas produced from burning fossil fuels |
| acid rain | form when sulfur and nitrous oxides combine with water vapour to form acids |
| nitrogen cycle | cycling of nitrogen between organisms and the environment |
| nitrogen fixation | converting nitrogen gas to nitrates and ammonium ions |
| denitrifying bacteria | bacteria that change nitrates into nitrogen gas |
| phosphate ions | phosphorus is usually found in this form |
| greenhouse effect | causes global warming |
| Gaia hypothesis | theory proposed by Lovelock |
| hydrosphere | all the water on earth |
| lithosphere | all the land on earth |
| atmosphere | all the air on earth |
| nitrogen gas | makes up about 78% of the earth's atmosphere |
| oxygen gas | makes up about 21% of the earth's atmosphere |
| autotroph | organism that makes its own food |
| producers | autotrophic organisms |
| consumers | heterotrophic organisms |
| heterotroph | organisms that get food from other organisms |
| chemosynthesis | forming food by breaking down chemicals instead of using light |
| decomposers | bacteria and fungi that break down other organisms |
| trophic level | number of energy transfers an organism is from the original solar energy |
| food chain | sequence of who eats whom in the biosphere |
| carnivore | animal that eats other animals |
| omnivore | organism that eats animals and plants |
| herbivore | animal that eats plants |
| detritus | organic waste from animals and plants |
| food web | interlocking food chains showing transfer of energy |
| first law of thermodynamics | energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form |
| second law of thermodynamics | some energy is lost in the form of heat |
| pyramid of numbers | energy pyramid based on numbers of organisms at each trophic level |
| pyramid of biomass | energy pyramid based on mass of organisms at each trophic level |
| pyramid of energy | pyramid based on energy produced at each trophic level |
| monoculture | growing a single species of plant to the exclusion of others |
| biological amplification | build up of toxic chemicals in organisms |
| tropical rain forest | biome with very dense vegetation, heavy rainfall |
| savanna | biome with tropical grassland with scattered trees |
| desert | biome with little rainfall |
| temperate deciduous forest | biome with lots of rainfall, long summers and cold winters |
| temperate grassland | biome with little rainfall, warm summers and cold winters |
| temperate coniferous forest | biome also called taiga; cold and wet winters and warm, short summers |
| tundra | biome with permafrost found in the far north |
| biomes | large-scale ecosystems |
| precipitation | factor affecting biome type |
| temperature | factor affecting biome type |
| migration | movement of organisms between 2 distant regions |
| hibernation | sleep state in winter where body temp decreases |
| littoral | zone of a lake where plants grow |
| limnetic | zone of a lake where sunlight shines through (open water) |
| profundal | region of a lake where light doesn't get through |
| anatomical | adaptation of body structure |
| winter ecosystem | 5 key conditions: snow, cold, radiation, energy, wind |
| subnivean | animals beneath the snow |
| penguin | animal living in the Antarctic |
| aquatic | water based |
| polar (water molecule) | has + and - ends |
| solvent | liquid that dissolves something else |
| marine | ocean/ salt water |
| estuary | place where the mouth of a river enters the ocean |
| brackish | mixture of fresh and salt water |
| rivers, streams, brooks | fresh, flowing water |
| puddle | temporary, still water |
| pond | no profundal zone, plants grow across entire bottom |
| lake | have a profundal zone, no plants grow in this zone |
| littoral zone | edge around a lake or pond where plants grow |
| limnetic zone | open water area of a lake |
| profundal zone | deepest part of a lake where plants don't grow |
| nutrient turn over, high oxygen | Canada's high fish population-why? |
| functions of wetlands | purify, habitat, flood control |
| levey | altered river bank to decrease flooding |
| benthos | bottom of any body of water |
| swamp | wetland with trees |
| marsh | wetland with mostly grass |
| natural selection | Darwin's theory of evolution |
| overproduction | more offspring produced than can survive |
| competition | organisms compete for limited resources |
| variation | differences among traits |
| survival of fittest | best adapted organisms will survive |
| speciation | origin of new species |
| Lamarck | showed evolution was adaptive which results in diversity |
| adaptation | traits that improve chances of survival |
| evolution | changes in characteristics of organisms over generations |
| fossils | direct evidence for evolution |
| homologous structures | similar origin but different uses in different species |
| analogous structures | similar in function and appearance but not origin |
| pangaea | supercontinent that existed 225 million years ago |
| convergent evolution | development of similar forms in diff.areas with similar environments |
| embryology, physiological, biochemical evidence | direct evidence for evolution |
| pheromone | chemical produced that stimulates another organism of same species |
| enzymes | proteins that regulate chemical reactions |
| embryology | study of organisms in early stages of development |
| physiological evidence | study function of any part of an organism |
| biochemical evidence | comparing DNA and proteins |
| biogeography | study of geographical distribution of plants and animals |
| direct evidence | evidence from fossils, radioactive dating |
| indirect evidence | evidence from living organisms |
