Biology 1 Unit 11

energy flow

Autotroph

An organism that captures energy to produce its own food and provide the foundation of the food supply for other organisms

Cellular Respiration

A process that converts oxygen and sugar into chemical energy and carbon dioxide

Consumer

An organism that eats other organisms or organic matter

Decomposer

An organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or animal waste

Detritivore

A heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients to the soil, air, and water

Food Chain

A simplified model that show a single path in which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem

Food Web

A model that shows many interconnected pathways through which energy and matter flow through ecosystem

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food and receives its nutrients and energy by feeding on other organisms

Law of Conservation of Mass

Matter is neither created nor destroyed

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Omnivore

An organism that eats both plants and animals

Photosynthesis

The process in which the sun's light energy is converted into chemical energy for use by the cell /// Process where green plants and other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy using CO2 and H2O

Producer

An organism that produces its own food

Microorganism

Tiny living thing too small to be seen by the naked eye

Nitrogen Cycle

The circulation of nitrogen that is important for fertile soil and breathable air

Biomass

The amount of organisms in a given area or volume in an ecosystem

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The amount of organic, carbon-based material that is produced by photosynthesis

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The measure of the amount of organic material produced minus the amount of organic material used during life processes such as respiration

Primary Consumers

An organism that feeds on producers such as plants (They are herbivores)

Primary Productivity

The rate at which plants and other photosynthetic organisms produce organic compounds

Trophic Level

The level in which organisms are found in the food chain

Biodiversity

The number of organisms that an area has at any given time

Keystone Species

The organisms an ecosystem heavily depends on to keep its balance

Secondary Consumer

An organism that feeds on primary consumers (They eat herbivores)

Sustainability

The ability to maintain a certain rate of co-existence between the biosphere and humans

Tertiary (Third) Consumer

A top-level consumer that is a carnivore and feeds on secondary consumers

Invasive Species

Any kind of living organism that is not native to the ecosystem and causes harm

Biomagnification

The increase of toxic substances that have accumulated in organisms, which increases at each trophic level

Ten-Percent (10%) Rule

When energy is passed from one trophic level to the next, only about 10% of the energy will be available

Aerobic Respiration

Process of producing cellular energy in the presence of oxygen

Anaerobic Respiration

Process of producing cellular energy without the presence of oxygen

Anaerobe

An organism that relies on just anaerobic respiration and is an important decomposer

Chemical Energy

Energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, such as those in glucose

Radiant Energy

Energy from the sun (Light energy)

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

Energy-carrying biological molecule that drives cellular activities when broken down

Cell Membrane

A double layer of lipids and proteins that surrounds a cell and separates the cytoplasm from its surrounding environment

Eukaryotic

A cell with membrane-bound nucleus and organelles that is generally larger and more complex

Prokaryotic

A cell without a nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles

Mitochondria

A membrane-bound organelle that converts fuel into energy that is available to the rest of the cell (The powerhouse of the cell)

Acidophile

An organism that grows best at acidic (low) pH values

Alkaliphile

An organism that grows best at high pH values

Chemosynthesis

A process that uses chemical energy instead of light energy by converting carbon or methane into organic matter using inorganic molecules such as hydrogen sulfide or methane as an energy source

Endolith

An organism that lives inside rock or in the pores between mineral grains

Extremophile

An organism that lives in extreme conditions such as minimal sunlight and high or low temperatures

Halophile

An organism requiring high amounts of salt for growth