Earth Science and Biology Fundamentals

Flashcards covering atmospheric science, Earth's internal structure, plate tectonics, basic chemistry and biology, and the origin of the universe.

What are the characteristics of the troposphere?

It is the atmospheric layer where humans reside and where airplanes fly.

What is significant about the stratosphere layer of the atmosphere?

It is the layer where the ozone layer is located.

What occurs in the mesosphere?

It is the coldest layer of the Earth where meteorites burn.

How is the thermosphere described in terms of temperature and contents?

It is the hottest layer and contains space rockets and satellites.

Which atmospheric layer is the most farthest?

The exosphere.

What is the Earth's Crust?

The thin, outermost layer where we live, made of solid rock and soil.

What is the role of the Upper Mantle in geological activity?

Made of hot, semi-solid rock that slowly moves, it helps cause earthquakes and volcanoes.

What characterizes the Lower Mantle?

A deeper part of the mantle made of dense, solid rock under great pressure.

How does the Outer Core contribute to the Earth's properties?

It is a layer of liquid metal (mostly iron and nickel) that helps create Earth's magnetic field.

Why is the Inner Core solid despite being the hottest part of the Earth?

It is made of solid iron and nickel because of extremely high pressure.

What are tectonic plates?

They are pieces of the Earth's crust.

What happens at a subduction zone?

It is a convergent plate boundary where dense lithosphere sinks beneath another plate.

Which plate is described as an oceanic plate that is both divergent and convergent?

The Pacific Plate.

What geological features are associated with convergent plates?

Volcanic arcs, mountains, and deep sea trenches.

What occurs at a divergent plate boundary?

Plates move apart or spread, creating mid ocean ridges and rift valleys.

What is a transform plate boundary and what features does it create?

Where plates slide past each other, creating fault lines and linear valleys.

What is an atom?

The smallest fundamental unit of matter.

What are the charges of protons, neutrons, and electrons?

Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge.

What is the basic building block of all living things?

A cell.

What does DNA stand for and what is its function?

Deoxyribonucleic acid; it is the molecule that carries genetics.

Based on the notes, what does RMA stand for?

Return merchandise authorization.

What does the Big Bang Theory explain?

How the universe began or started.

How long ago did the universe begin?

$13.8$ billion years ago.

How and when was the Earth formed?

It formed $4.5$ billion years ago from a rotating cloud of gas and dust.

What evidence exists for the Big Bang Theory according to the notes?

The universe is still expanding today and small particles formed first.

What is an organism?

A living being that requires water, food, and air to survive.

What is the difference between unicellular and multicellular organisms?

A unicellular organism consists of one cell, whereas a multicellular organism consists of more than one cell.