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Alive Checklist
cells, replication, pass on DNA, evolve, acquire and use energy
Thermodynamics
studies the interaction of energy and matter
First Law of Thermodynamics
energy is not created nor destroyed; it is transferred
Spontaneous reaction
A reaction that will proceed without any outside energy
Non-spontaneous reaction
A reaction that will not occur naturally, needs energy to be put back in
Equilibrium
a state in which opposing forces are balanced
Autotroph
An organism that makes its own food (producer)
Heterotrophs
Organisms that depends on other organisms for their food (consumer)
Biotic factors
The living parts of an ecosystem (consumers, producers, etc.)
Abiotic factors
Nonliving parts of an ecosystem (nutrients, water, etc.)
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
Total chemical energy produced in a given area over a time
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
Chemical energy used for growth and reproduction. Energy stored inside of the organism's cells
Trophic Level
Populations that have a similar food source
Food Chain vs Food Web
Chain is simplified illustrating energy flow and a web is a complex arrangement of food chains
Amount of energy transferred between trophic levels
10%
Producer
An organism that makes its own food
Consumer
An organism that eats other organisms
Decomposer
Organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter. They release nutrients back into soil and atmosphere
Rate of Degradation
How quickly a substance will break down
Factors in Rate of Degradation
Abiotic factors (temperature), quality of detritus (organic matter), abundance and variety of decomposers
The Nitrogen Cycle
The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere
The Carbon Cycle
The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back to the atmosphere
The Water Cycle
The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back
Importance of Water
Defines environment we life in, many chemical reactions take place in water, results in the formation of cellular structures and tissues
Hydrogen Bonds
Weak attraction between a hydrogen atom and another atom. Leads to high cohesion and adhesion
Solute
A substance that is dissolved in a solution.
Solvent
The substance in which the solute dissolves
Solution
A homogeneous mixture
Hydrophilic
Attracted to water
Hydrophobic
Aversion to water
Cohesion
Attraction between molecules of the same substance
Adhesion
Attraction between molecules of different substances
Heat of vaporization
Amount of energy required to evaporate 1g of liquid
Ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
A disrupted Carbon Cycle leads to
Dramatic changes in global temperature
Note
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