nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus cycle

what are the steps of the nitrogen cycle?

nitrogen fixation, nitrification by bacteria, assimilation by plants, ammonification by decomposers, denitrification by denitrifiers.

nitrogen fixation by bacteria

conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms

bacteria converts atmospheric nitrogen (78% of the air), which plants cant directly use, into ammonia or ammonium ions that plants can absorb and utilize for growth.

nitrification by bacteria

conversion of ammonium into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate. (remember TRITE TO TRATE)

nitrogen is further processed by nitrifying bacteria in the soil, which goes from ammonia to nitrite, to nitrite to nitrate (an accessible for of nitrogen for plants)

assimilation by plants

plants absorb nitrates or ammonium and incorporate nitrogen into proteins and other compounds. animals eat the plants which gives them the nitrogen as well.

plants take in the nitrate or ammonium from the soil, and the nitrogen is incorporated into amino acids, proteins and other vital molecules, like chlorophyll.

ammonification by decomposers

converting the dead organic nitrogen of plants or animals back into ammonia, like a reverse nitrification.

denitrification by denitrifiers

reducing nitrates or nitrites and releasing gaseous nitrogen, like a reverse nitrogen fixation

how are plants involved in the nitrogen cycle?

they absorb it from the soil in the form of ammonia, nitrite ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions to form plants and animal proteins.

sublimation

the sublimation of ice into gas, like dry ice

evaporation

the boiling of water, turns into gas by heat and air pressure.

biosphere

the volume of the earth and atmosphere that supports life

ecosystem

organisms and the non-living environment in a particular place

community

all the interacting organisms living in an area

population

all the members of a single species that live in one place

organism

an individual member of a species

autotroph

organisms that produce their own energy (Producers)

heterotroph

organisms that cannot produce their own energy. (Consumers)

what are the three trophic levels?

1. Producers

2. Herbivores

3. Secondary consumers (carnivores, omnivores)

what are the steps of the carbon cycle?

photosynthesis and cellular respiration, carbon fixation and cellular respiration, decomposition, and combustion

photosynthesis and cellular respiration

plants absorb carbon dioxide and use it to produce food in the form of carbohydrates, called photosynthesis.

carbon fixation and cellular respiration

primary consumers, like cows and horses such plants for food, which the carbon from the plants enters the bodies of the consumer and gets fixed into the form of organic carbon, known as carbon fixation. respiration by animals releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

decomposition

once plants and animals die, the fixed organic carbon is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, through decomposition by detritus feeders (worms n stuff)

combustion

the carbon that is leftover in the body of the dead organism after decay becomes fossil fuels over many years, which on combustion releases the carbon stored in the back into the atmosphere thus completing the cycle.

why is the carbon cycle important?

• carbon forms an integral component of proteins, lipids, and DNA, the building blocks of all living things.

• carbon dioxide traps radiation from the sun, acting as a blanket over the planet and controlling the temperature of the earth.

what are the steps of the phosphorus cycle?

weathering (erosion), mineralization by plants, assimilation by plants, decomposition by microorganisms, geological uplift by tectonic movement

weathering (erosion)

phosphates found in the sedimentary rocks are leached out of the disintegrated rocks from its various environmental sources in the form of inorganic phosphate ions.

mineralization by plants

plants absorb organic phosphorus present in soil and underground water and convert them to inorganic forms for utilization

The aquatic plants absorb inorganic phosphorus from lower layers of water bodies

assimilation by animals

herbivorous and carnivorous animals, including humans, absorb phosphorus when they consume these plants for their food, a process known as assimilation.

decomposition by microorganisms

microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi decompose organic phosphates back into the inorganic form, which is then returned to the soil and water bodies.

geological uplift by tectonic movements

over long periods, sedimentary rocks containing phosphorus may be moved from the ocean to the land by a process called geological uplift.

why is the phosphorus cycle important?

why is the nitrogen cycle important?

• enriching the soil through the formation of nitrates and nitrites which are essential for the cultivation.

• helping in the synthesis of some biomolecules such as amino acids, nucleic acids, and chlorophyll, the building blocks of life.

• decomposing dead plant and animal matter by decomposers which cleans up the environment.

abiotic

a non-living thing that contributes to the enviroment.

biotic

living thing that contributes to enviroment

how are ecosystems different from community? population?

the ecosystem is the organism and non-living things (biotic and abiotic) in a particular place (like an ocean or forest), while community is all the interacting organisms living in an area, and population is all the members of a single species that live in one place.

what happens to the energy in an ecosystem?

in an ecosystem, energy is never destroyed, just transferred between the different trophic levels of the ecosystem.

what happens to the nutrients that are used at different tropic levels of an ecosystems?

only ten percent of energy is transferred to the next level, such as from the producers to first consumers, and the other 90 percent is used to maintain the level, such as the producers. All nutrients get cycled, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphates, and water.

what is the amount energy that can be transferred from one energy level to the next on a trophic cascade?

only 10 percent, the other 90 goes to maintaining the trophic level.

what organism is the base for all earthly ecosystems?

plants are the organism that is the base for all earthly ecosystems.

identify the basic roles of abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem?

abiotic is non-living factors in an ecosystem, like soil, which help plants grow. Biotic, like plants, feed animals, and the cycle helps itself.

what is a food web? which two types of food webs are typically supported by ecosystems?

which different animals and their diets, consisting of each other, can be traced and interconnected. two types of food webs, typically supported by ecosystems, are grazing and deuterium. grazing are those who eat plants, herbivores, which then get consumed by carnivores- a linear process. detrital is the break down of dead animals and plants to recycle nutrients.

do decomposers have a place on an energy pyramid? if so, where?

decomposers don’t have a place on the energy pyramid, but they can be anywhere on it do contribute by recycling dead stuff that helps with nutrients for the producers.

what is the nitrogen cycle and how does it fit into the ecosystem process?

 nitrogen fixation, nitrification by bacteria, assimilation by plants, ammonification by decomposers, denitrification by denitrifies. nitrogen is 78% of air, and bacteria changes the form of nitrogen so that it can be used by plants.

bacteria converts nitrogen into ammonia (fixation), then nitrifying the ammonium into nitrite, then nitrate (nitrification), then the plants take in the nitrates so that it is incorporated into animo acids, proteins and other molecules (assimilation), then after the plants die, decomposers convert the dead organic nitrogen of plants and animals back to ammonia (ammonification), and lastly ammonia is turned back from nitrates and nitrites back into pure nitrogen

name the steps of the carbon cycle.

photosynthesis and cellular respiration, carbon fixation and cellular respiration, decomposition, and combustion. Carbon is in all living things.

cells absorb carbon dioxide in (photosynthesis), animals consume the plants, which inserts the carbon into their bodies and gets fixed into organic carbon (fixation). respiration by animals releases carbon dioxide into atmosphere. once animals and placed die, the fixed organic carbon is released into atmosphere as carbon dioxide by decomposition of detritus feeders (decomposition), then leftover carbon fossilizes, then combust after many years, releasing carbon dioxide back into atmosphere (combustion)

what is the main source of phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle?

the main source of phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle is to weather rocks and erode them.

where is the earth’s largest reservoir of water stored?

the ocean.

what is the difference in a decomposer and a detritivore?

detritivores are a type of decomposer that feed on organic matter- physically breaking it down, while decomposers are any organism that breaks it down through chemical processes.

detritivore examples: worms, beetles

decomposer examples: bacteria and fungi

where are most detritivores found on the trophic levels?

detritivores are usually found on the top given they eat all of the organic dead matter.

where does most of earth’s rain fall return water to on Earth?

most of the earth’s rain fall returns back into the oceans of the earth.

explain the difference between herbivores, carnivores, decomposers and omnivores.

herbivores are animals that only eat plants, carnivores only eat meat, decomposers only eat dead organic matter, and omnivores eat a mix of plants and meat.

the gas that is increases Earth’s greenhouse effect the most?

carbon dioxide.

differentiate between symbiosis, commensalism, mutualism, parasitism and predation. provide examples of each.

symbiosis is the close relationship where one organism benefits, commensalism is where one organism benefits while the other is unaffected, parasitism is where one benefits while the other is harmed, and predation is where one organism kills and eats other organism to survive.

describe the parts and basic structure of a virus.

listing from outside to inside, the envelope encases the virus like a membrane, and in the inside is the capsid, which holds the nucleic acid.

describe the lytic cycle steps.

1. virus attach to host cell

2. virus injects nucleic acid into host cell

3. host cell replicates viral nucleic acid and proteins

4. new viruses are made inside of cell

5. cell bursts and viruses find new host.

describe the lysogenic cycle steps.

1. virus enters into the host cell

2. virus’s nucleic acid becomes integrated into host cell’s chromosome.

3. the host cell undergoes replication

4. the virus spreads.

what is the main difference in a viral and bacterial infectious disease. Name 3 typical viral diseases.

the main difference between a viral and bacterial diseases is that bacterial can be treated with over the counter medicine and can be resolved, whereas viral becomes part of the immune system, and vaccines are used to soothe symptoms. Some typical viral diseases include mumps, measles, influenza, rabies, common cold, and polic.