Ecology, Electricity, and Chemistry Comprehensive Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering core concepts from Biology (Ecology), Physics (Electricity), and Chemistry (Matter and Periodic Table) based on the lecture review guide.

Ecosystem

A complex system where living organisms interact with each other and their non-living environment.

Biotic Factors

The living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and bacteria.

Abiotic Factors

The non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem, such as light, water, nutrients, and temperature.

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

Community

All of the different populations of different species that live and interact in a specific area.

Sustainable

The ability to maintain an ecological balance in an ecosystem indefinitely.

Photosynthesis

The process by which producers use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy-rich food; the chemical equation is $\text{carbon dioxide} + \text{water} + \text{light energy} \rightarrow \text{glucose} + \text{oxygen}$.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which organisms break down glucose and oxygen to release energy, producing carbon dioxide and water as waste; the chemical equation is $\text{glucose} + \text{oxygen} \rightarrow \text{carbon dioxide} + \text{water} + \text{energy}$.

Autotroph

Also known as a producer, an organism that can produce its own food using light or chemical energy.

Heterotroph

Also known as a consumer, an organism that cannot produce its own energy and must eat other organisms.

Ecological Niche

The function or role of a species within its ecosystem, including what it eats, what eats it, and how it behaves.

Herbivore

An animal that eats only plants or other producers.

Carnivore

An animal that eats other animals.

Omnivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals.

Scavenger

An animal that feeds on the remains of another organism that is already dead.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organic matter and returns nutrients to the ecosystem.

Trophic Level

The position an organism occupies in a food chain, representing its feeding level.

Limiting Factor

Any factor that restricts the size of a population or where it can live.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size of a particular species that a given ecosystem can sustain.

Biome

A large geographical region characterized by a specific climate and the plants and animals that are adapted to it.

Oligotrophic Lake

A body of water that is low in nutrients, often having very clear water.

Eutrophic Lake

A body of water that is rich in nutrients, often resulting in high plant and algae growth.

Watershed

An area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as a lake or ocean reservoir.

Ecological Succession

The gradual and predictable process by which an ecosystem changes and develops following a disturbance.

Primary Succession

Succession that occurs on newly exposed ground where no soil or life previously existed.

Secondary Succession

Succession that follows a disturbance (like a fire) in an area where soil and life previously existed.

Species Richness

The number of different species in a particular area.

Extirpated

A species that no longer exists in a specific area but still exists in other locations.

Invasive Species

A non-native species whose introduction into an ecosystem causes harm to the environment, economy, or human health.

Bioamplification

The process by which the concentration of a substance, such as DDT, increases as it moves higher up the food web.

Current Electricity

The continuous flow of electrons through a conductor.

Direct Current (DC)

A flow of electrons that moves in only one direction through a circuit.

Alternating Current (AC)

A flow of electrons that periodically reverses its direction.

Electrical Power

The rate at which electrical energy is produced or consumed, measured in Watts ($W$).

Percent Efficiency

A calculation of useful energy compared to total energy used, expressed as $\frac{\text{useful energy output}}{\text{total energy input}} \times 100$.

Electric Current (I)

The measure of the rate of flow of electric charges in a circuit, measured in Amperes ($A$).

Potential Difference (V)

Also known as voltage, it is the difference in electrical potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in Volts ($V$).

Resistance (R)

The degree to which a substance opposes the flow of electric current, measured in Ohms ($\Omega$).

Ohm’s Law

The mathematical relationship between potential difference, current, and resistance, expressed as $R = \frac{V}{I}$.

Amphoteric Line

The zig-zag line on the periodic table that separates the metals from the nonmetals.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which also equals the number of electrons in a neutral atom.

Mass Number

The total sum of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Diatomic Molecule

A molecule consisting of two atoms of the same element; examples include $H_2$, $O_2$, $F_2$, $Br_2$, $I_2$, $N_2$, and $Cl_2$.

Ionic Compound

A compound formed between a metal and a nonmetal through the transfer of electrons.

Molecular Compound

A compound formed by two or more nonmetals that share valence electrons to form covalent bonds.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an atom (usually a metal) loses electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when an atom (usually a nonmetal) gains electrons.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.

Particle Theory of Matter

A theory describing the composition and behavior of matter, stating all matter is made of tiny particles that are always moving and have spaces between them.

Density

The amount of mass per unit volume of a substance, calculated using the formula $D = \frac{m}{V}$.

Precipitate

A solid substance that forms from a solution during a chemical reaction.