General Biology Unit 3

Aerobic

Process that requires oxygen

Aerobic Respiration

Respiration that requires oxygen

Algae

Plantlike protists

Anaerobic

Process that does not require oxygen

Anaerobic Respiration

Respiration in the absence of oxygen. This produces lactic acid, ethyl alcohol and CO2, or Acetic Acid.

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food

Bacteria

Decomposers, single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus; prokaryotes

Bar Graph

A graph that uses horizontal or vertical bars to display data

Biophilia

love of life

Biosphere I

earth

Biosphere II

An enclosed self-sustaining ecosystem based on the concept of total recycling; failed due to O2 depletion resulting from overgrowth of microbes

Carbon Cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

Chloroplast

An organelle found in plant and algae cells where photosynthesis occurs

Closed System

A system in which no matter is allowed to enter or leave

Combustion

the process of burning something

Consumer

An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms

Continuous Data

Data that can take any value

Control Group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

Control Variable

A variable that is kept constant during a controlled experiment.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms, Fungi and Bacteria.

Decomposition

Break down of dead materials leaving chemicals behind.

Dependent Variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

Diffusion

Movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Discrete Data

Numerical data values that can be COUNTED

Energy Flow

The passage of energy through the components of an ecosystem

Ethyl Alcohol

Product along with CO2 of alcoholic fermentation

Experimental Reliability

The extent to which the experimental results can be replicated

Experimental Validity

the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Feeding

the act of supplying food and nourishment

Flow

Movement of an element of a matter cycle from one sink to another.

Food Chain

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

Food Web

A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

Fossilization

when living material is replaced with mineral substances in the remains of an organism

Fungi

Decomposers: A kingdom made up of eukaryotic organisms that have no means of movement, reproduce by using spores, and get food by breaking down substances in their surroundings and absorbing the nutrients

Heat

Waste product of all energy transfers

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Independent Variable

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Inorganic Chemical

a chemical that has an abiotic origin; some simple substances that are produced by organisms are also classified as inorganic, usually not containing Carbon.

Lactic Acid

product of fermentation in many types of cells, including human muscle cells

Line Graph

a graph that uses one or more lines to show changes in statistics over time or space

Mineral Plant Nutrient

Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and other micronutreints which cycle in matter cycles.

Mitochondria

Organelle that is the site of aerobic respiration and ATP (energy) production

Modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Nutrient Cycle

Continuous flow of nutrients into and out of stores in the ecosystem; balanced, unless disturbed by human activity

Nutrient Cycling

The circulation of chemicals necessary for life, from the environment (mostly from soil and water) through organisms and back to the environment.

Omnivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals

Open System

A system in which matter can enter from or escape to the surroundings.

Photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into high energy carbohydrates.

Primary Consumer

An organism that eats producers

Processes/ Fluxes

These are responsible for moving matter through the matter cycles.

Producer

An organism that can make its own food.

Qualitative

Data that is not a number.

Quantitative

Data that is in numbers

Respiration

The process by which cells break down simple food molecules to release the energy they contain.

Scatter Plot

A graph with points plotted to show a possible relationship between two sets of data.

Secondary Consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

Sink

Area where matter accumulates in a matter cycle.

Sustainable

able to be maintained at a certain rate or level

System

A group of parts that work together as a whole

Tertiary Consumer

A group of parts that work together as a whole

Trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web

Yeast

unicellular fungi that does alcoholic fermentation