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134 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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what is science?
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a body of knowledge and a process used to gain knowledge.
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what is the most reliable source of scientific information?
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peer reviewed journals
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what is a hypothesis?
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an explanation on trial that may not always be right.
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can a hypothesis be proven true?
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no
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what makes a good hypothesis?
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using an if/then statement.
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in what form does a scientist report his/her results?
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scientific paper, peer review, publish ("process" meets "body of knowledge"), scientific poster, scientific presentation.
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what is the difference between an observational study and a manipulative experiment?
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an observational study collects data without manipulation.
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what is a controlled experiment?
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all factors held constant except for variable of interest.
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what is an advantage and disadvantage of conducting a controlled experiment?
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advantage: more statistical power
disadvantage: time and cost increases. when you control everything, you lose the opportunity to find all factors that might effect things. |
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what does it mean that science is "decentralized" and why is that important?
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science is decentralized because biases and agendas are weeded out.
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What does it mean that science is “self-correcting”? How does this self-correcting process occur?
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it meanst hat no conclusion is sacred (no "truth"). this occurs through conclusions being modified as necessary.
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What branch of mathematics allows us to infer relationships in data sets and provide measures of confidence of those relationships?
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statistics
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what is an atom?
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The atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons
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what is an element?
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A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. e.g., iron, copper, silver.
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what are two different types of bonds?
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ionic and covalent
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what are bonded-together elements called?
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molecules
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what is an exothermic reaction?
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Chemical reaction where the energy content of the products is less than that of the reactants; heat is given out from the system.
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what is an endothermic reaction?
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Chemical reaction where the energy content of the products is more than that of the reactants; heat is taken in by the system.
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When a chemical reaction releases energy into the environment, is it endothermic or exothermic?
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exothermic
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When a chemical reaction requires energy from the environment, is it endothermic or exothermic?
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endothermic
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When a chemical reaction breaks a molecule and forms a more-stable molecule, is it an endothermic or exothermic reaction?
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exothermic
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• When a chemical reaction breaks a molecule(s) and forms a less-stable molecule, is it an endothermic or exothermic reaction?
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endothermic
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What compounds in your body contain nitrogen?
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proteins and nucleotides
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where is nitrogen found in the environment?
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in the air and soil
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where is nitrogen most abundent?
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the atmosphere: 78% nitrogen
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what are the 5 processes in the nitrogen cycle?
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1.) Nitrogen fixation (N2 to NH3/ NH4+ or NO3-)
2.) Nitrification (NH3 to NO3-) 3.) Assimilation (Incorporation of NH3 and NO3- into biological tissues) 4.) Ammonification (organic nitrogen compounds to NH3) 5.) Denitrification (NO3- to N2) |
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in what form does nitrogen exist in the atmosphere?
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N2
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Why are artifical and natural processes required to cause nitrogen fixation?
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because nitrogen fixation is an endothermic reaction
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What molecule is formed by nitrogen fixation?
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ammonia, NH3
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What molecule(s) are formed in nitrification?
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first nitrite (NO2) and then nitrate (NO3)
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What causes nitrification?
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soil bacteria
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Why do soil bacteria carry out nitrification?
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to obtain energy from the exothermic reactions
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What molecules are formed by denitrification?
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N2
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How does nitrogen get into plants and animals?
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assimilation
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What forms is nitrogen in when it’s assimilated into plants?
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NH3 and NO3
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What is the building block of a protein?
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amino acid
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What is the building block of DNA?
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nucleotide
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How do heterotrophs make proteins and DNA?
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break down and reconstruct amino acids and nucleotides originally created by plants
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How does nitrogen get out of plants and animals?
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ammonification
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What compounds in your body contain carbon?
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carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleotides
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Through what process does carbon enter the biosphere?
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photosynthesis
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Through what process does carbon exit the biosphere?
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respiration
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Where is carbon found in the environment? In what form is it found there?
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air, rocks, erosion
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Through what process does carbon enter the biosphere?
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photosynthesis
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Through what process does carbon exit the biosphere?
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respiration
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what ways do humans disrupt the carbon cycle? What effects does this disruption have on the environment?
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they disrupt the carbon cycle by the burning of fossil fuels. the environment has a much higher amount of carbon because of humans, causing global warming.
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What is the function of the cuticle in a plant leaf?
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to protect the plant
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What drives the water cycle?
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heat
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What is “evaporation”?
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light energy converted to heat energy at the ground surface.
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Why is the earth warm at sea level relative to higher elevations?
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because the pressure at sea level is higher and pressure decreases at higher elevations.
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What happens to the temperature of air as it rises?
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it cools
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which can hold more air, warm air or cold air?
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warm air
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What happens when air contains more water than it can hold as a gas?
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precipitation
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Why are temperatures at the poles cooler than temperatures at the equator?
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the spherical shape of the planet causes an unequal distribution of radiation. The regions across the equator gets the most sun and the poles the least.
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What is a Hadley cell?
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The Hadley cell is a circulation pattern that dominates the tropical atmosphere, with rising motion near the equator. descending motion in the subtropics, and equatorward flow near the surface. This circulation is intimately related to the trade winds, tropical rainbelts, subtropical deserts and the jet streams.
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What is a ferrel cell?
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In the Ferrel cell, air flows poleward and eastward near the surface and equatorward and westward at higher altitudes; this movement is the reverse of the airflow in the Hadley cell.
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what is a polar cell?
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Polar Cell are part of a three cell movement involving Hadley Cells and Ferrel Cells which show atmospheric circulation and Surface winds.
Cold dense air descends over the Poles which creates high pressure, this cold air moves along the surface to lower latitudes. At around 60 degrees north and south, this air has been warmed up and rises upwards, creating a zone of low pressure. |
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what drives a hadley cell?
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light (heat) differences
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what drives a polar cell?
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light (heat) differences
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what drives a polar cell?
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pressure differences
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why are there rainforests near the equator?
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The combination of direct and abundant sunlight and abundant rainfall make forested areas around the equator possible.
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what holds elements together?
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bonds
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bonded elements makes ______.
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molecules
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What natural and artificial processes cause nitrogen fixation?
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volcano, lightning, combustion, industrial processes, bacteria.
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how have humans disrupted the nitrogen cycle?
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eutrophication
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what does the cuticle on a leaf do?
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prevents plants from desiccating
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Why are there deserts at 30 degrees north and south latitudes?
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because air is dryer and colder there
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Why do prevailing winds move in the north-south direction?
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Three cells… Hadley, etc.
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Why do prevailing winds move in the east-west direction?
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Coriolis effect (the spinning of the earth)
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How do the oceans affect the atmosphere?
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Local and global climates. ex: Hudson bay, canada vs oxford, england, north atlantic drift (gulf stream).
-ocean conveyer belt -distributes heat |
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how does the atmosphere affect oceans?
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causes for ocean surface currents.
-prevailing winds -hurricanes |
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What important function do prevailing winds and ocean currents have?
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distributing heat around the earth
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Why is coastal upwelling important? Why does El Nino disrupt coastal upwelling off the Pacific coast of South America?
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it helps with nutrient input. it disrupts coastal upwelling because the trade winds are weakened, the warm water mass expands and the ocean current is disrupted. this disrupts the coastal upwelling.
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What is the overall effect of these climate patterns (such as the lake effect and rain shaddow effecct)?
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Biomes
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what is a biome?
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A biome is a large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, which are adapted to that particular environment. The climate and geography of a region determines what type of biome can exist in that region.
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what is energy?
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the capacity or ability to do work.
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in what forms can energy exist?
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mechanical, heat, chemical, radiant, electrical, nuclear
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When you break the barrier in a “cold pack” and mix the chemicals, why does the cold pack turn cold?
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endothermic reaction
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what's the difference between kinetic and potential energy?
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kinetic energy is energy of motion, potential energy is stored energy.
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what is the first law of thermodynamics?
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energy cannot be created or destroyed
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what is the second law of thermodynamics?
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whenever energy is converted from one form to another, some USEABLE energy is lost. (energy available for work decreases as energy is lost to heat)
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what is entropy?
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disorder in a system
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What prevents increasing disorder in the biosphere over time?
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energy input from the sun
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How do producers get their energy?
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photosynthesis
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Is photosynthesis an endothermic or exothermic reaction?
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endothermic
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Is respiration an endothermic or exothermic reaction?
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exothermic
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What form of energy is converted to what form of energy at during photosynthesis?
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light energy to food energy
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In addition to glucose, what is another important product of photosynthesis?
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elemental oxygen, O2
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What is an autotroph?
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(a producer) organisms performing self nourishment
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What is a heterotroph?
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(a consumer) eat other organisms for nourishment
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What type of consumer eats producers?
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primary consumer/ herbivore
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What is a tertiary consumer?
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eats primarily secondary consumers-- aka carnivores
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What type of consumer eats herbivores?
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secondary consumers/ carnivores
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What does a herbivore eat?
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plants
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what does a carnivore eat?
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animals
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what does an omnivore eat?
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plants and animals
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what does a detritivore eat?
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animal waste products
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what is a decomposer?
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microbial detrivores
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Typically, how efficient is energy transfer from one trophic level to another?
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about 10%
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What is a trophic level?
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A position in a food chain or Ecological Pyramid occupied by a group of organisms with similar feeding mode.
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Why do “food webs” more accurately reflect natural systems?
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a food web can show all of the food sources an animal may have
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what is a niche?
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an organism's role within an ecosystem (difficult to define) and the habitats in which an organism can exist
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What is a fundamental niche? Do abiotic (non-living), biotic (living), or both factors define a fundamental niche?
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= all of the environments in which a species could live and reproduce. its determined by abiotic factors (temperature, light, water)
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What is a realized niche? Do abiotic (non-living), biotic (living), or both factors define a realized niche?
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= all of the habitats iin which an organism DOES life and reproduce. both define a realized niche.
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What basic factors can lower a species distribution below its fundamental niche?
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a niche may restrict due to a life stage (ex: tadpole + frog)
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compare and contrast a fundamental and realized niche
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a realized niche is always smaller than (or equal to) a fundamental niche
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What observation supports the idea that dispersal ability limits an organism’s realized niche?
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the success of invasive species
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Why might competition be a "negative-negative" interaction?
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because both interactants may be negatively affected by the interaction
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Why might competition be a “negative-neutral” interaction?
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because the resource may not be limiting to one of the participants
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What two criteria must be satisfied for an interaction to be considered competition?
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resources must be shared and limiting
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What is scramble (exploitative) competition? When does it often occur?
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participants gather resources as quickly as possible, this often occurs when resources are abundant
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What is interference (contest) competition? When does it often occur?
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competitor kills, overgrows, or inhibits competitor. this happens when resources are scarce
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What is allelopathy?
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manufactures toxins and releases it through roots, causing organisms to be unable to grow around it
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How do green and brown anoles interact, and what’s the result of the interaction?
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they compete, and where they both exist, green anoles are driven from the habitat: niche restriction
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How do the paramecia we discussed interact and what is the result of the interaction?
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they compete and result is competitive exclusion (local extinction) of one of the paramecium species
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What is intraspecific competition?
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competition between individuals within the same species
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What is interspecific competition?
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competition between individuals of different species
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What is predation?
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one organism kills another and ingests it for food
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What types of strategies do predators use to obtain prey?
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smarter, faster, depth perception
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What are some of the major strategies potential prey use to avoid getting eaten?
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crypsis, defensive structures, warning coloration/sound/behavior, defensive mimicry, startle coloration, chemical warfare
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What’s the difference between Batesian mimicry and Mullerian mimicry?
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batesian mimicry has one that is poisonous and one that is not. mullerian mimicry has both poisonous
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Why do we say that the bombardier beetle uses “Chemical warfare” to defend itself? Is the chemical reaction of a bombardier beetle endothermic or exothermic?
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it creates quanone, water, and heat. it is exothermic
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What is herbivory? What protection do plants have against herbivory? How do chemical and mechanical defenses protect the plant differently?
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herbivory is when only part of the plant is eaten, allowing the plant to live. cuticle, mechanical and chemical defenses. chemical defences prevent the consumer from being able to eat them and mechanical defenses are basic defenses.
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What are the two main catergories of animals that are herbivores?
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insects and mammals
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What is symbiosis?
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an intimate relationship between two or more species
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What is parasitism?
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organisms of disease
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What are some examples of insect parasites? Of pathogens?
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ticks, misquitos, black flies.
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What is a commensalism?
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one organism benefits, the other is either benefited nor harmed
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What is an epiphyte?
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organisms that live attached to other organisms
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What are some examples of commensalisms?
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ants and silverfish
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what is a keystone?
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species that have great effect on their respective ecosystems
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What are some examples of keystone species?
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grey wolf, fig tree
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What is species diversity?
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number of species in a community
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How is species diversity and habitat complexity related?
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as habitat complexity increases, the amount of species that can live in the environment increases too
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