The Living Earth - Semester 1 Final Exam Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from 'The Living Earth' lecture notes to aid in final exam preparation.

Atmosphere

The layer of gases surrounding the Earth.

Hydrosphere

The combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet.

Cryosphere

The frozen water part of the Earth system, consisting of ice and snow.

Anthrosphere

The part of the environment that is made or modified by humans.

Geosphere

The solid part of the Earth, consisting of rock, soil, and minerals.

Biosphere

The global sum of all ecosystems; the zone of life on Earth.

Biome

A large geographic biotic unit, a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Organism

Any individual living entity.

Community

A group of interacting organisms sharing an environment.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area.

Predator

An animal that naturally preys on others.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and killed by another for food.

Predation

The preying of one animal on others.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Carnivore

An animal that feeds on flesh.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem.

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both benefit.

Symbiosis

Interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association.

Commensalism

A relationship between two living organisms in which one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Population Density

The number of individuals per unit area.

Logistic Growth

Population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity.

Exponential Growth

Growth whose rate becomes ever more rapid in proportion to the growing total number or size.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals that an environment can support without significant negative effects.

Density Dependent Limiting Factors

Factors that affect a population's growth in ways that depend on the population density.

Density Independent Limiting Factors

Factors that affect population growth regardless of its density.

Ecological Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Primary Succession

Ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed.

Pioneer Species

The first species to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems.

Lichen

A symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium.

Secondary Succession

Succession that occurs in an area that was previously occupied by living organisms but was disturbed.

Climax Community

A stable community that no longer goes through major ecological changes.

Product

The substances that are formed as a result of a chemical reaction.

Reactant

The starting materials in a chemical reaction.

Compound

A substance formed from two or more elements chemically united in fixed proportions.

Chemical Formula

A way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

Molecule

A group of atoms bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound.

Atom

The basic unit of a chemical element.

Chemical Reaction

A process that involves the rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance.

Chemical Equation

A symbolic representation of a chemical reaction in the form of symbols and formulas.

Carbohydrate

Organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, generally in a ratio of 1:2:1.

Lipid

A group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, and sterols.

Protein

Large biomolecules consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of many repeated subunits, known as monomers.

Nucleic Acids

Biomolecules essential for all known forms of life, including DNA and RNA.

ATP

A high-energy molecule found in every cell, used for energy transport.

ADP

A molecule that is formed when ATP loses a phosphate group, releasing energy.

Energy Storage in ATP

Energy is stored in the high-energy phosphate bonds.

Photosynthesis Equation

The chemical reaction in which carbon dioxide and water are converted into glucose and oxygen using sunlight.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in plants that is essential for photosynthesis.

Enzymes

Proteins that act as catalysts to speed up biochemical reactions.

Anaerobic Respiration

A form of respiration that occurs without oxygen.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes.

Herbivore

An animal that feeds chiefly on plants.

Food Web

A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down material from dead organisms.

Food Chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Trophic Level

Each of the levels in a food chain, consisting of producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and so on.

Biomass

The total mass of organisms in a given area or volume.

Energy Pyramid

A graphical representation showing the flow of energy at each trophic level.

Nitrogen Cycle

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process of converting nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into ammonia.

Evolution

The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Homologous Structures

Anatomical structures in different species that share a common ancestry.

Analogous Structures

Anatomical structures in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common ancestry.

Vestigial Structures

Remnants of organs or structures that had a function in an early ancestor but are no longer functional.

Molecular Similarities

Similarities in DNA sequences and molecular structures across different species.

Hox Genes

A group of genes that determine the basic structure and orientation of an organism.

Cladogram

A diagram used to represent evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

Artificial Selection

The process by which humans breed plants and animals for desired traits.

Natural Selection

The process through which species adapt to their environment; survival of the fittest.

Genetic Variation

The diversity in gene frequencies among individuals in a population.

Overproduction

The phenomenon where more offspring are produced than can survive to adulthood.

Competition

The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources.

Environmental Change

Any change in a biological or physical environment that can impact the organisms living there.

Bird Beaks

An example of adaptation in species, demonstrating how beak shapes vary based on diet and environmental pressures.