| A | B |
|---|
| acids | Substances that release hydrogen ions in water |
| atomic number | Identification of atoms; Number of protons per atom of an element |
| bases | Substances that bond readily with hydrogen ions. |
| biomass | Total mass or weight of all the living organisms in a given population |
| carbon cycle | Circulation and reutilization of carbon atoms, especially via the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. |
| carbon sinks | Places of carbon accumulation , such as in large forests or ocean sediments; here carbon is removed from the carbon cycle for long periods of time. |
| cellular respiration | Process in which a cell breaks down sugar or other organic compounds to release energy used for cellular work; can be anaerobic or aerobic |
| chemical energy | Potential energy stored in chemical bonds of molecules. |
| conservation of matter | In any chemical reaction, matter changes form, it is neither created nor destroyed. |
| detritivores | Organisms that consume organic litter, debris, and dung. |
| ecosystem | Specific biological community and its physical environment interacting in an exchange of matter and energy. |
| enzymes | Molecules, usually proteins or nucleic acids, that act as catalysts in biochemical reactions. |
| first law of thermodynamics | States that energy is conserved; that is, it is neither created nor destroyed under normal conditions. |
| food web | Complex, interlocking series of individual food chains in an ecosystem. |
| homeostasis | Maintaining a dynamic, steady state in a living system through opposing, compensating adjustments. |
| ions | Electrically charged atoms that have gained or lost electrons. |
| isotopes | Forms of a single element that differ in atomic mass due to a different number of neutrons in the nucleus. |
| molecules | Combination of two or more atoms. |
| organic compounds | Complex moleculles organized around skeletons of carbon atoms arranged in rings or chains. |
| pH | Scale of 0 - 14 reflecting the negative log of H+(hydroniam) ions. |
| phosphorus cycle | Movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks. |
| photosynthesis | Biochemical process by which green plants and some bacteria capture light energy and use it to produce chemical bonds. |
| population | Group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area. |
| productivity | Amount of biomass produced in a given area in a given time. |
| second law of thermodynamics | States that, with each successive energy transfer or transformation in a system, less energy is available to do work. |
| sulfur cycle | Chemical and physical reactions by which sulfur moves into or out of storage and through the environment. |
| trophic level | Step in the movement of energy through an ecosystem; an organism's feeding status in an ecosystem. |
