EEMB 120 Class 3: Ecological Stoichiometry and Energy Relations

Vocabulary practice exploring ecological stoichiometry, metabolic naming conventions, the carbon fertilization effect, and bioremediation based on the EEMB 120 Class 3 lecture.

Ecological Stoichiometry

The study of the relative quantities of substances (elements), typically expressed as ratios, required by organisms for survival, growth, and reproduction.

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum

The principle stating that growth is limited by the scarcest resource relative to the demand of the organism.

Carbon

The backbone of life and a component of all organic molecules, including DNA and proteins, which is "fixed" from inorganic to organic forms by primary producers.

Nitrogen

A key ingredient of life found in amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and enzymes responsible for metabolic business in cells.

Phosphorus

An ingredient of life found in DNA, membrane lipids, and $ATP$, the primary energy source for cells.

Micronutrients

Compounds required by life in lower demand than macronutrients, such as sulfur (methionine), iron (hemoglobin), and calcium (bones).

Photoautotroph

An organism that obtains energy from sunlight and fixes inorganic carbon into organic molecules for itself, such as plants and phytoplankton.

Photoheterotroph

An organism that obtains energy from sunlight but consumes organic carbon from other sources, such as some bacteria.

Chemoautotroph

An organism that obtains energy from chemicals and fixes inorganic carbon, such as hydrothermal vent bacteria.

Chemoheterotroph

An organism that obtains both its energy and carbon from organic chemicals or other species, such as animals.

$C:N$ Ratio

The ratio of carbon to nitrogen; a higher value indicates a resource is more "nitrogen-poor" compared to one with a lower value.

Carbon Fertilization Effect

The hypothesis that increased atmospheric $CO_2$ from the combustion of fossil fuels should allow plants to grow faster until limited by stoichiometry.

FACE (Free-Air Concentration Enrichment)

Experiments designed to test the carbon fertilization hypothesis by pumping $CO_2$ into the air surrounding plants in their natural environment to measure growth and storage responses.

Bioremediation

The use of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, to degrade and remove toxic pollutants from the environment, converting hazardous waste into benign byproducts.

Petroleum Hydrocarbons (PHCs)

Chemicals found in crude oil that certain microbial species can degrade in polluted aquatic environments as part of bioremediation strategies.

Types of Heterotrophs

The three types of heterotrophs are: herbivores (organisms that consume plants), carnivores (organisms that consume animals), and detritivores (organisms that consume decomposing organic matter).

Trophic Interactions

The relationships between organisms in food chains or food webs, highlighting how energy and nutrients flow from primary producers to various heterotrophs.

Role of Primary Producers

Primary producers, such as plants and phytoplankton, convert inorganic carbon into organic molecules through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, forming the base of food webs.

Anthropocene

A proposed geological epoch characterized by significant human impact on the Earth's geology and ecosystems, affecting climate, biodiversity, and natural processes.

Biostimulation

A bioremediation strategy that involves adding nutrients or other substances to enhance the activity of native microorganisms that degrade environmental contaminants.

Bioaugmentation

A bioremediation technique involving the introduction of specific strains of microorganisms into an environment to degrade contaminants more effectively.

Natural Attenuation

The process by which natural environmental conditions and microbial activity gradually reduce the concentration and toxicity of contaminants without human intervention.