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MSU Bio Test 1
Bio test 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Biodiversity | The range of different species in an environment |
| Ecology | One of the disciplines in environmental science. Studies abundance and distribution of organisms |
| Sustainable Actions | Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs |
| Civilian Conservation Corps | •Provide jobs during Great Depression •Implement a natural resources conservation program •“For the benefit of present and future generations” •Lead to greater public awareness and appreciation of outdoors and nation’s natural resources |
| Fish Stocking | •Early purpose •Focused on fish food species •Great Depression •Focus turned to sport fishing •Now •Range of species •Used to restore lost fish populations, rehabilit |
| Ecosystems | All of the organisms, and their physical and chemical environments |
| Biotic Factors | Living Organisms |
| Abiotic Factors | Non-living elements of the environment |
| Ecosystem functions | the flow of matter and energy and the processes that influence the distribution and abundance of organisms |
| Provisioning services | Ecosystems provide us with resources like food, water, and air |
| Regulating services | Ecosystems control important conditions/services like the climate, flow of water, and absorption of pollutants |
| Cultural services | Ecosystems provide us with spiritual and recreational benefits |
| Supporting services | Ecosystems provide basic processes that foster a healthy earth: Nutrient cycles, soil formation, pollination |
| Principles of Ecosystem functions | •“The flow of energy and matter influencing the distribution and abundance of organisms” •Matter and energy are neither created nor destroyed •Ecosystems are open to gains and losses of energy and matter •Ecosystem processes are self-regulated |
| Negative Feedback | System reverses a directional change (algal growth and decline) |
| Positive Feedback | System reinforces change (forest loss due to erosion) |
| Systems thinking | •Recognizes the connections of parts in system •More important to know how system works •Individual parts important, system function more so |
| Sustainability Science | Studies ecosystem – social systems connection |
| Atom | Most basic subunit of an element |
| Molecule | Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds |
| Element | A chemical that cannot be broken down or separated into other chemicals |
| Atoms are made of | Protons, neutrons, electrons |
| Atoms of a particular element always have the same # of______ | Protons |
| Overall electrical charge of an atom is ______ | Neutral |
| Elements | Made up of one type of atom |
| Atomic # | # of protons in element |
| Isotope | Atoms of an element with different # of neutrons |
| Molecule | Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds |
| Compounds | Molecules made from more than one element |
| Covelent bonds | Chemical bond that holds atoms together |
| Ion | Atom that has gained or lost an electron (indicated with + or - next to it) |
| Dipole bonds | Weaker bonds •Strength depends on difference of charge between the molecules •Form between atoms and molecules •Result of shifts of charge •Can affect the chemical and physical properties of polar molecules, like water •Many biological functions |
| When atoms in molecules share electrons equally , the bond is ________ | Non-polar |
| When atoms in molecules share electrons unequally, the bond is __________ | Polar, part of molecule is positive and part is negative |
| Water breaks apart into ________ | Hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxyl ions (OH–) |
| pH scale | quantitative representation of H+ and OH– in a liquid •Pure water (with equal H+ and OH–) pH = 7.0 •When H+ > OH- pH less than 7.0 acid •When H+ < OH- pH more than 7.0 base |
| Organic molecules | made of carbon atoms covalently bonded to hydrogen and other atoms |
| Hydrocarbons | Type of organic molecule. Made of carbon and hydrogen |
| Carbohydrates | Type of organic molecule. Made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen |
| Glucose | Type of carbohydrate. The basic form of energy for most organisms |
| Lipids | Long chains of carbon and hydrogen and a shorter region with one to several oxygen molecules. It's non-polar so it is not water soluble |
| Macromolecules | small organic molecule linked together |
| Polymers | Organic molecules linked together in longer chains |
| Polysaccharides | Polymers of simple sugars |
| Proteins | Polymers of amino acids |
| Nucleic acids | Polymers of nucleotides |
| Energy | The capacity to do work |
| Work | A force applied to an object over a distance |
| Potential energy | energy stored in a system and available for future work |
| Kinetic energy | Energy of motion |
| Electromagnetic radiation | The energy of light |
| Wavelength | The distance from one crest to another |
| Heat | Kinetic energy of molecules |
| Temperature | Measure of the average kinetic energy of a collection of molecules |
| Chemical energy | The PE associated with the formation or breakage of bonds between atoms |
| Nuclear energy | Energy in the structure of matter |
| Nuclear Fission | Nucleus of atom split, creating two smaller atoms and releasing vast amounts of kinetic and electromagnetic energy |
| Nuclear Fusion | When atoms collide and fuse |
| Sun is made out of mostly | 74% hydrogen and 25% helium |
| Solar wind | Sun emits thin, energetic streams of charged particles |
| Earth's structure | •Dense core (inner and outer) •Less dense mantle (upper and lower) •Light, rocky crust (continental and oceanic) |
| Core | center of the earth; mixture of nickel and iron •Solid inner core •Liquid outer core |
| Mantle | less dense layer above the core, made of rock •70% of Earth's volume •Rich in elements magnesium and silicon •Due to the extreme pressure solid rocks in mantle can slowly flow •Upper mantle rocks may be heated to a liquid-like state called magma |
| Crust | thin layer of solid and relatively light rocks •< 1% of Earth's volume •Only part that directly interacts with living systems |
| Continental crust | makes up the continents and areas immediately adjacent to them |
| Oceanic crust | beneath the ocean; composed of dense, more homogeneous rocks (similar to rocks in mantle) |
| Lithosphere | Crust and upper part of mantle that interacts with it |
| Tectonic plates | pieces of Earth’s crust that float on top of the mantle |
| Boundries | Places where plates come together |
| Transform fault boundries | Places where plates slide past one another (earthquakes) |
| Divergent boundries | Separate plates are moving apart |
| Convergent boundries | Plates come together and collide |
| Subduciton | when the dense ocean crust is pushed beneath the lighter continental crust |
| Atmospheric pressure | force caused by the pull of gravity on a column of air |
| Troposphere | •Lowest layer (Sea level–15 km) •Life located here •Temperature drops with elevation •Most weather occurs in this layer |
| Stratosphere | •15–48 km •Temperature increases approaching ozone •Ozone layer located here •Protects life from ultraviolet radiation |
| Mesosphere | •Above stratosphere •Air temperature drops again (-173ºC) at 90 km |
| Thermosphere | •Extends out to space •Above 150 km, gas density is so low there is no friction •International Space Station orbits here •Aurora borealis (“Northern lights”) occurs here |
| Vapor pressure | water’s contribution to total atmospheric pressure |
| Saturation vapor pressure | the maximum amount of water that air can hold at a given temperature |
| Relative humidity | measure of the extent to which air is saturated (%) |
| Dew point | temperature where humidity is 100% |
| Earth's energy budget | measures all energy entering and leaving Earth |
| Amount of solar energy absorbed by earth | 70%. 30% is reflected into space. |
| Climate | Long term atmospheric conditions |
| Weather | Short-term variations local atmospheric conditions |
| Fronts | boundaries where warm and cold air meet |
| Cold Front | boundary where a mass of cold air is replacing a mass of warm air |
| Warm Front | boundary where a mass of warm air is replacing a mass of cold air |
| Intertropical convergence zone | band of rising air around the equator |
| Hadley Cells | Air then moves toward poles (north and south). Forms convection (Hadley) cells flanking equator. |
| Ferrel cells | similar wind cell, related to the temperate region •Between 30 and 60o latitude |
| Polar cells | similar wind cell, related to circumpolar region •Between 60 and 90o latitude |
| Coriolos effect | Caused by the air circulating in wind cells interacting with the Earth’s rotation |
| Biogeochemistry | the study of the cycles of chemical elements (C, N, etc.) and their interactions with living things in the natural environment |
| Biosphere | All organisms and non-living environment |
| Biogeochemical cycle | flow of matter through ecosystem (elements, water) |
| Pools | parts of ecosystem where element resides; measured in Tg, Pg, kg, g |
| Fluxes | rate at which an element moves from one pool to another |
| Mass-Balance accounting | process that accounts for the abundance of an element in an ecosystem |
| Capitol (of a pool) | total mass of an element in a pool |
| Equilibrium | when capital in a pool remains constant |
| Residence time | Average time that an atom of an element stays in a pool |
| Cycling time | Average time that it takes for an atom to move through the cyle |
| Macronutrients | elements that organisms require in relatively large amounts •Carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, phosphorous |
| Micronutrients | elements needs in very small amounts •Manganese, boron |
| Rock cycle | elements within Earth's crust and mantle are slowly converted from one type of rock to another |
| Igneous | form as magma solidifies |
| Sedimentary | form when sediments (sand, silt, remains of dead organisms) are bound together by pressure |
| Metemorphic | form when great heat and pressure transform physical and chemical properties of igneous or sedimentary |
| Hydroligic cycle | distribution and flux of water through Earth’s biogeochemical system. Solar energy and gravity drive system. Evaporation and transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration and groundwater discharge, etc. |
| Carbon cycle | movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere. Respiration returns carbon to atmosphere. Photosynthesis pulls carbon from atmosphere |
| Most of carbon resides in | Sedimentary rocks |
| Gross primary production | total amount of CO2 that photosynthetic organisms (plants) convert to organic C each year |
| Net primary production | remaining ½ is organic C available to consumers (humans) |
| Producer | Organism that transfers energy from sunlight |
| Consumer | Species that feed on other live organisms |
| Decomposer | Organisms that feed on non-living organic matter |
| How do humans impact the carbon cycle? | Burning of fossil fuels releases stored carbon. More carbon is in atmosphere, which results in climate change |
| Nitrogen cycle | process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms |
| Nitrogen is most abundant where? | Atmosphere |
| Nitrogen fixation | Nitrogen enters biosphere. Bacteria convert nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3-) •Then converted into other molecules (amino acids, nucleic acids) |
| Nitrification | •Specialized bacteria in soil convert ammonium (NH4+) to nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) •Makes nitrogen available to other organisms |
| Denitrification | nitrogen in soil and water is returned to the atmosphere •Bacteria transform nitrates to N2 gas |
| Human impacts on nitrogen cycle | We have doubled the rate of nitrogen fixation. Excess nitrogen acts as a pollutant. |
| Phosphorus Cycle | the movement of phosphorus through the earth and biosphere. it must be weathered out of sedimentary rock |
| Phosphorus is abundant in ____ but absent from _____ | crust, atmosphere |
| Human impacts on phosphorus cycle | We mine large quantities of phosphorus for fertilizer. Mining activities disrupt ecosystem. Excess phosphorus can result in eutrophication in aquatic environments |
| Sulfur cycle | process by which sulfur moves to and from minerals (including the waterways) and living systems. Weathering and volcanic activity releases usable forms. Flux of sulfur into atmosphere is high but residence time is low. |
| Sulfur is mostly found in | Chemically bound to rocks |
| Sulfur cycle human impacts | •Mining and fossil fuel burning has doubled amount of sulfur released •Source of acid rain |
| Global Warming | Increase in atmospheric temperature since the late 1800s |
| Climate Change | Significant and lasting changes in the distribution of weather patterns over periods of time (decades to millions of years) |
| Evidence for global warming | Permafrost in melting in the summer. Fires are more common. |
| Pleistocene epoch | alternating cold and warm periods occurring from ~2.5 million to 11,700 years ago |
| Holocene Epoch | began after Pleistocene and is occurring right now (the last 10,000 years) •During this period, global temperatures have varied |
| The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere is affected by... | Amount of solar radiation and Earth's orbit |
| Chemical composotion of the Troposphere | •Carbon dioxide (CO2) •Methane (CH4) •Nitrous oxide (N2O) All effected by human activity. All absorb light energy and trap heat in atmosphere |
| Greenhouse effect | the absorption of radiation (heat) by greenhouse gases and trapping of heat in the troposphere |
| Greenhouse gases | gases that efficiently capture heat in the troposphere •Water vapor (H2O) •Most abundant, naturally occurring •Carbon dioxide (CO2) •Methane (CH4) •Nitrous oxide (N2O) |
| Human causes of global warming | Deforestation, Fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas), synthetic greenhouse gases (Chlorophlourocarbon) |
| The Montreal Protocol | •International treaty designed to protect the ozone layer from substances that were depleting it (i.e., CFCs) •Established timeline and protocols for phasing out CFCs and ozone-destroying substances •If adhered to, ozone layer could recover by 2050 |
| What are CFCs used for? | •Coolants in refrigeration and air conditioning •Foaming agents •Cleaning solvents •Propellants in aerosol cans |
| Global warming potential | measure of an individual molecule’s long-term impact on atmospheric temperature |
| Concequences of global warming | •Climate pattern changing •Melting glaciers and ice sheets •Rising sea levels •Changing populations and ecosystems |
| Climate pattern changes effect the wet season in Africa. Shorter wet season makes it harder to grow food. | |
| Changing of seasons effects wildlife in many different ways | |
| Mitigation | actions that directly reduce an environmental threat (CO2e emissions) |
| How to become sustainable instead of business as usual | •Five methods to reduce emissions: •Efficiency and Conservation •Fossil Fuel Use •Renewable Energy •Nuclear Energy •Biostorage |
| Transport efficiency | Improving miles per gallon |
| Transport conservation | reducing the use of energy per person. Carpool, Mass transit, reduction of traffic |
| Building efficiency | reducing energy for heating, air conditioning, lighting, etc. |
| Efficiency in electricity production | reducing CO2e released by coal-burning power plants |
| Natural gas power plants use 1/2 the CO2 of coal power plants | |
| Carbon capture | Capture CO2, transform it, and store in ground |
| Renewable energy | •Solar •Wind •Biofuel •Derived from plant material •Produce little or no CO2e |
| Nuclear energy pros and cons | Emits little CO2, Safety concerns, toxic |
| Biostorage | the absorption and storage of CO2 in plants and animals in Earth’s ecosystems (i.e., storing carbon in forests and soil) |
| Carbon neutral | Not generating CO2 |
| Carbon offset | greenhouse gas reduction that balances out emissions |
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