The Biology of Climate Change

Flashcards covering the definitions of key terms related to climate change, photosynthesis, the carbon cycle, and environmental science found in the lecture notes.

Climate

The average weather patterns in a given area over time, typically characterized by temperature and rainfall.

Biosphere

The sum of all locations where life exists on Earth, including the deepest areas of the oceans and well into the atmosphere.

Population

Organisms of the same species living in a particular area.

Species

All of the populations of organisms that are similar in appearance and have the ability to interbreed.

Community

Populations of different species interacting in a given area.

Ecosystem

A level of biological organization representing the interaction of a biological community and the physical environment, such as climate.

Global Warming

An upward trend in temperatures discovered in the 1980s, primarily associated with increases in the Earth's surface temperature.

Greenhouse Gases

Atmospheric compounds that trap heat near the Earth's surface, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, ozone, and CFCs.

Greenhouse Effect

The phenomenon where specific gases with complex structures retain heat in the lower atmosphere.

Methane ($CH_4$)

A rare and powerfull greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for about a decade but can retain 30 times more heat than $CO_2$.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Greenhouse gases found in compounds used in refrigerants and spray propellants.

Ocean Acidification

The process by which carbon dioxide enters the oceans and produces carbonic acid, lowering the pH and decreasing available carbonate for shellfish.

Heat Sink

A temporary storage location for heat energy, a role frequently played by the world's oceans.

Atomic Number

In the periodic table, the number representing the number of protons in an atom of an element.

Atomic Mass

The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom of an element.

Hydrocarbons

Long chains of carbon atoms that can form various lengths, branches, or rings, often studied in organic chemistry.

Carbon Sinks

Major reservoirs for carbon on Earth, including the oceans, underground fossil fuels, and the atmosphere.

Carbon Source

The process where living organisms release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through cellular respiration during the breakdown of organic materials.

Autotrophs

Organisms that make their own food using energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

Mesophyll cells

Specialized cells within the leaves of plants that conduct the majority of photosynthesis.

Chloroplasts

Organelles specialized for photosynthesis that contain thylakoids, grana, and stroma.

Thylakoids

Plate-like structures within chloroplasts stacked into grana where light-dependent reactions occur.

Stroma

The spaces between the grana in a chloroplast where the Calvin cycle occurs.

Carbon Fixation

The first step of the Calvin cycle where atmospheric $CO_2$ is taken up by a molecule to begin forming organic structures.

Fossil Fuels

Fuel sources such as oil, natural gas, coal, and shale formed from plant and animal remains subjected to heat and pressure within the Earth's crust.

Vector

An organism, such as a mosquito or tick, that moves an infectious agent from one organism to another.

Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola)

Believed to be the first mammal to become extinct specifically due to climate change.

Invasive Species

A species introduced outside its natural range, usually by humans, which negatively impacts native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Biome

A term used by scientists to indicate the general characteristics of similar ecosystems across the globe, including climate and resident leaf types.

Desertification

A biome-level change where regions like grasslands are converted to deserts, often due to climate change, deforestation, and poor agricultural practices.

Carbon Footprint

A calculation of the amount of carbon, usually measured in tons of $CO_2$, released into the atmosphere by the actions of a person or organization.

Alternative Energy

Energy sources that do not require fossil fuels, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and hydroelectric.

Geoengineering

Also called climate engineering, the development of technology to alter the environment to combat climate change.

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

A form of geoengineering focused on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Solar Radiation Management (SRM)

A form of geoengineering that seeks to reflect a portion of solar energy before it reaches Earth to reduce energy trapped in the atmosphere.