Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
22 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Ecology
|
the scientific study of the relationships between organisms and their environment. It is concerned with the life histories; distribution; and behavior of individual species as well as the structure and function of natural systems at the level of populations; communities; and ecosystems.
|
|
Matter
|
everything that takes up space and has mass.
|
|
Conservation of matter
|
in any chemical reaction; matter changes form; it is neither created nor destroyed.
|
|
Energy
|
the capacity to do work.
|
|
Kinetic energy
|
energy contained in moving objects such as a rock rolling down a hill; the wind blowing through the trees; or water flowing over a dam.
|
|
Potential energy
|
stored energy that is latent but available for use. A rock poised at the top of a hill or water stored behind a dam are examples.
|
|
Heat
|
total kinetic energy of atoms or molecules in a substance not associated with the bulk motion of the substance.
|
|
Thermodynamics
|
a branch of physics that deals with transfers and conversions of energy.
|
|
1st law of thermodynamics
|
energy is conserved; that is; it is neither created nor destroyed under normal conditions.
|
|
2nd law of thermodynamics
|
with each successive energy transfer or transformation in a system; less energy is available to do work.
|
|
Energy quality
|
the measure of an energy sources ability to do work.
|
|
High energy quality
|
organized/concentrated to perform useful work; examples include: electricity; coal; gasoline; natural gas; and concentrated sunlight)
|
|
Low energy quality
|
disorganized/dispersed and has little ability to do useful work; best example is heat.
|
|
Species
|
all the organisms genetically similar enough to breed and produce live; fertile offspring in nature.
|
|
Population
|
all the members of one species that live in the same area at the same time.
|
|
Biological community
|
the populations of plants; animals; and microorganisms living and interacting in a certain area at a given time.
|
|
Ecosystem
|
a specific biological community and its physical environment interacting in an exchange of matter and energy.
|
|
Producer
|
an organism that synthesizes food molecules from inorganic compounds by using an external energy source; most producers are photosynthetic.
|
|
Consumer
|
an organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.
|
|
Food chain
|
the sequence of organisms through which energy and materials (in the form of food) are transferred.
|
|
Food web
|
a complex; interlocking series of individual food chains in an ecosystem.
|
|
Biogeochemical cycle
|
movement of matter within or between ecosystems; caused by living organisms; geological forces; or chemical reactions. The cycling of nitrogen; carbon; sulfur; oxygen; phosphorus; and water are examples.
|