Untitled Flashcards Set

Unit Test Glossary 

acid deposition: the deposit of acid to land and water through acidic rain, snow, or sleet

adhesion: the tendency of unlike molecules to cling together because of attractive forces

Water is adhesive also due to polarity—the negative and positively charged molecules in water attract other ionic molecules.

biodiversity: a variety in the number and kind of species in a given area

biogeochemical cycle: a diagram representing the movement of elements and compounds between living and non-living components of an ecosystem

biomagnification: the buildup of harmful chemicals in higher trophic levels (top predators)

biosphere: all areas on Earth that can sustain life and are inhabited by organisms (air, water, land)

carbon sink: a system that removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases into the atmosphere

chemosynthesis: the process by which certain fungi and bacteria use the energy from chemical nutrients to chemically convert carbon (inorganic) into carbohydrates (organic)

cohesion: intermolecular attraction between like-molecules of a substance

Water is strongly cohesive due to the polarity of its molecules.

conservationist: someone who advocates saving and/ or conserving natural resources

consumers: organisms that must obtain their food (energy) by eating other organisms (producers or consumers); also called heterotrophs

denitrification: the process of converting nitrates in the soil into nitrogen gas

denitrifying bacteria: a type of soil bacteria that converts nitrates in soil into nitrogen gas, releasing this gas to the atmosphere

ecological footprint: an analysis of human consumption of natural resources compared to the ability of Earth to recreate them

This analysis gives an estimate of the area (hectares) required for humans to live based on their given lifestyles—most North American lifestyles are not currently sustainable according to the analyses.

equilibrium: all living components of the biosphere (e.g., humans, bacteria, plants) balance in a system; the overall fluctuations in the system balance out and there is no net change over time

eutrophication: excessive plant growth and decay caused by an excessive amount of chemical nutrients

first law of thermodynamics: energy in a system cannot be created nor destroyed; it changes forms

food chain: a diagram or model that uses a straight line to show how food (energy) transfers from producers to primary consumers to higher trophic levels

food web: a diagram or model that shows the connections among food chains (food/energy transfer) in an ecosystem

heat capacity: the amount of heat energy (J) required to change the temperature of one gram of substance by 1°C

Water has a high heat capacity of 4.19 J/g °C.

limiting factor: any biotic or abiotic factor that controls or limits the functioning of an organism

nitrification: the process of converting ammonia into nitrates or nitrites

nitrifying bacteria: a type of soil bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrates and nitrites

nitrogen fixation: the process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

peat: deep layers of mosses and plant remains unable to completely decompose due to the lack of oxygen in water-saturated soil

photoautotrophs: photosynthetic producers

photosynthesis: the process by which plants, algae, and some kinds of bacteria use solar energy to chemically convert carbon (inorganic) into carbohydrates (organic) such as sugars and starches

producers: organisms that are able to produce their own food (energy) by harnessing chemical or solar energy; also called autotrophs

trophic level: describes the feeding level through which matter and energy are transferred; indicates an organism’s position in the food chain (e.g., producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer)

anoxic: lacking free oxygen

ecological footprint: an analysis of human consumption of natural resources compared to the ability of Earth to recreate them

An ecological footprint gives an estimate of the area in hectares that is required for a human to live based on his or her lifestyle. Most North American lifestyles are not currently sustainable, according to the analyses.

stromatolites: sedimentary rock in oceans built from fossilized micro-organisms, such as bacteria

sustainable: capable of being continued with minimal long-term effects on the environment

Module 3 glossary

acid deposition: the deposit of acid to land and water through acidic rain, snow, or sleet

adhesion: the tendency of unlike molecules to cling together because of attractive forces

Water is adhesive also due to polarity—the negative and positively charged molecules in water attract other ionic molecules.

biodiversity: a variety in the number and kind of species in a given area

biogeochemical cycle: a diagram representing the movement of elements and compounds between living and non-living components of an ecosystem

biomagnification: the buildup of harmful chemicals in higher trophic levels (top predators)

biosphere: all areas on Earth that can sustain life and are inhabited by organisms (air, water, land)

carbon sink: a system that removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases into the atmosphere

chemosynthesis: the process by which certain fungi and bacteria use the energy from chemical nutrients to chemically convert carbon (inorganic) into carbohydrates (organic)

cohesion: inter-molecular attraction between like-molecules of a substance

Water is strongly cohesive due to the polarity of its molecules.

conservationist: someone who advocates saving and/or conserving natural resources

consumers: organisms that must obtain their food (energy) by eating other organisms (producers or consumers); also called heterotrophs

denitrification: the process of converting nitrates in the soil into nitrogen gas

denitrifying bacteria: a type of soil bacteria that converts nitrates in soil into nitrogen gas, releasing this gas to the atmosphere

ecological footprint: an analysis of human consumption of natural resources compared to the ability of Earth to recreate them

This analysis gives an estimate of the area (hectares) required for humans to live based on their given lifestyles—most North American lifestyles are not currently sustainable according to the analyses.

equilibrium: all living components of the biosphere (e.g., humans, bacteria, plants) balance in a system; the overall fluctuations in the system balance out and there is no net change over time

eutrophication: excessive plant growth and decay caused by an excessive amount of chemical nutrients

first law of thermodynamics: energy in a system cannot be created nor destroyed; it changes forms

food chain: a diagram or model that uses a straight line to show how food (energy) transfers from producers to primary consumers to higher trophic levels

food web: a diagram or model that shows the connections among food chains (food/energy transfer) in an ecosystem

heat capacity: the amount of heat energy (J) required to change the temperature of one gram of substance by 1°C

Water has a high heat capacity of 4.19 J/g°C.

limiting factor: any biotic or abiotic factor that controls or limits the functioning of an organism

nitrification: the process of converting ammonia into nitrates or nitrites

nitrifying bacteria: a type of soil bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrates and nitrites

nitrogen fixation: the process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

peat: deep layers of mosses and plant remains unable to completely decompose due to the lack of oxygen in water-saturated soil

photoautotrophs: photosynthetic producers

photosynthesis: the process by which plants, algae, and some kinds of bacteria use solar energy to chemically convert carbon (inorganic) into carbohydrates (organic) such as sugars and starches

producers: organisms that are able to produce their own food (energy) by harnessing chemical or solar energy; also called autotrophs

trophic level: describes the feeding level through which matter and energy are transferred; indicates an organism’s position in the food chain (e.g., producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer)

adaptation: a beneficial variation that helps an organism survive

allopatric: speciation that occurs from a geographical barrier

analogous structures: body parts in different species that have similar functions but evolved separately

barrier: anything that prevents organisms from reproducing

biogeography: the study of the past and present geographical distribution of species

biological barrier: a factor such as behaviour that keeps species reproductively isolated even when they exist in the same region

divergence: the development of one or more new species from a parent species as a result of mutation and adaptation to changing environmental conditions: the parent species continues to exist

embryology: the study of similar features in embryos and evolutionary relationships that may exist

fossils: the remains of past life found in sedimentary rock

geographical barrier: geological formations that keep organisms separated

gradualism: the theory that evolution occurs slowly and steadily in a linear fashion

gradualism: gradual change occurs in a steady, linear way over time

homologous structures: body parts in different species that have the same evolutionary origins and structural elements but may have different functions

hypothesis: a statement that provides one possible answer to a question or one possible explanation for an observation

inheritance of acquired characteristics: a theory that characteristics acquired during an organism’s lifetime could be passed to its offspring

mutagen: something that causes an increased rate of mutation

mutation: a change in the genetic material of an organism (DNA)

natural selection: the process that results when the characteristics of a population of organisms change because individuals with certain inherited traits survive specific local environmental conditions and, through reproduction, pass on their traits to their offspring

paleontology: the study of ancient life through the examination of fossils

punctuated equilibrium: evolutionary history is said to consist of long periods of equilibrium, interrupted by periods of speciation

punctuated equilibrium: the theory that suggests that evolutionary history consists of long periods of stasis (stable equilibrium), punctuated by periods of divergence

selective advantage: an organism’s variations increase its chances of surviving

selective disadvantage: an organism’s variations reduce its chances of surviving

selective pressure: environmental conditions that select for certain characteristics of individuals and select against other characteristics

sexual selection: a type of natural selection where characteristics are selected based on mate preferences

speciation: the formation of new species

strata: a layer of rock or soil that has a consistent character and is different from layers above and below it

transformation: the evolution of one species into another as a result of mutation and adaptation to changing environmental conditions, resulting in the replacement of the old species

transitional fossil: the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism that shows intermediary links between groups of organisms and shares characteristics common to these groups

variation: visible or invisible differences between individuals

viable offspring: offspring that are healthy and able to reproduce and create new offspring

acetyl CoA: an oxidized form of glucose

active transport: a process that requires energy from ATP to move substances against the concentration gradient

ATP (adenosine triphosphate): a high-energy phosphate molecule that provides and stores the energy required for cellular functions

ATP synthase: an enzyme that bonds free phosphates to ADP to form ATP

biofuel: ethanol produced during the fermentation of biomass

biogas: methane captured from animal waste that is used as fuel

Calvin-Benson cycle: the process in which photosynthetic organisms fix carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates

CAM: crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM photosynthesis); an elaborate carbon fixation pathway in some plants

carbon-dioxide fixation: a carbon atom in carbon dioxide is chemically bonded to a pre-existing 5-carbon compound in the stroma of the chloroplast

chemiosmosis: the process by which ATP is generated through the movement of protons down a concentration gradient

The protons move across the inner membranes to the mitochondrion and thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast and combine with ADP and phosphate molecules to form ATP.

diffusion: a process in which molecules move from areas of high concentration to low concentration

endocytosis: a process in which cell membranes engulf a substance and pinch off inside the cell

exocytosis: a process in which a vacuole containing substances from inside a cell (cytoplasm) fuses with the cell wall and the contents are released outside of the cell

facilitated diffusion: a process in which larger molecules need the help of proteins in cell walls to move from areas of high concentration to low concentration

FADH2: an important coenzyme produced during Krebs cycle

It acts as an electron donor to the electron transport system involved in the production of ATP.

glucose: a saccharide or sugar; can be linked to many other saccharides to form different types of sugars or carbohydrates

glycolysis: a metabolic pathway in which one glucose molecule is broken down to form two, 3-carbon molecules and a small amount of ATP

Glycolysis is the first step in both anaerobic and aerobic respiration.

Krebs cycle: a metabolic pathway consisting of a series of reactions that break down the end products of glycolysis, producing carbon dioxide and generating a large amount of ATP; also known as the citric acid cycle; named after the 1953 Nobel Prize winning scientist who made the discovery

metabolism: all of the chemical reactions that occur within a cell to support and sustain its life functions

This can be the synthesis of molecules or the breaking down of molecules for energy.

NADH: a high-energy electron carrier

It acts as an electron donor to the electron transport system involved in the production of ATP.

NADP+: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate in its oxidized state

NADPH: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate in its reduced state; used in light-independent reactions to form glucose

osmosis: the diffusion of water across a semipermeable membrane

oxidation: a loss of electrons

passive transport: no energy required

phagocytosis: a process in which the cell wall engulfs a large particle, such as bacteria or a blood cell, and pinches off inside of the cell

phosphoglyceraldehyde (PGAL): a high-energy compound used to make glucose

phosphorylation: the process of adding a phosphate to a molecule; occurs in cellular respiration and photosynthesis

photosystem: a cluster of light-absorbing pigment molecules in the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts

pinocytosis: a process in which the cell wall engulfs liquids and their solutes and pinches off inside the cell

proton: a hydrogen ion containing one electron

pyruvate: three carbon molecules produced by glycolysis

redox reaction: a reaction involving the transfer of electrons

reduction: a gain of electrons

reference flow: a measure of how far a substance is transported in chromatography

ribulose biphosphate (RuBP): a 5-carbon molecule in the stroma that initially bonds to carbon dioxide

thylakoid membrane: flattened stacks within the stroma that contain chlorophyll

VO2 max: used to measure how well an athlete is able to use oxygen during an activity: units are mL/kg/min