Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
2-3&4: Ecosystems
Movement of matter and energy in ecosystems
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| anaerobic respiration | A way cells make energy without using oxygen. It happens in some bacteria and during hard exercise when your muscles run low on oxygen. |
| cycling of matter | The movement and reuse of materials like water, carbon, and nitrogen through living things and the environment. |
| flow of energy | The movement of energy through an ecosystem, starting from the sun to plants (producers) and then to animals (consumers) and decomposers. |
| pyramid of biomass/energy | A diagram that shows how much energy or living matter is available at each level of a food chain. The bottom has the most energy (plants), and the top has the least (top predators). |
| trophic level | A step in a food chain or food web. For example, plants are at the first level, herbivores at the second, and carnivores at higher levels. |
| conserved | When something, like energy or matter, is not lost but changes form or moves to another part of the system. |
| plants | Living organisms that use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food through photosynthesis. |
| algae | Simple, plant-like organisms that live in water and also make their own food using sunlight. |
| food web | A diagram that shows how different food chains in an ecosystem are connected, showing who eats whom. |
| inefficiency | When not all energy is passed on from one trophic level to the next—some is lost as heat or used for life processes. |
| atmosphere | The layer of gases that surrounds Earth, including the air we breathe. |
| soil | The top layer of Earth where plants grow. It contains minerals, water, air, and living things like bacteria and worms. |
| waste | Materials that are not needed or used by the body or an ecosystem, like carbon dioxide, heat, or leftover food. |
| Decomposition | The process of breaking down dead plants and animals into simpler parts. It helps return nutrients to the soil. |
| Dead organism | A plant, animal, or other living thing that has stopped living. Its body can be broken down by decomposers like bacteria and fungi. |
| Eliminate waste | To get rid of things the body doesn’t need, like carbon dioxide, sweat, or urine. |
| Life processes | The basic activities all living things do to stay alive, like breathing, growing, eating, and reproducing. |
| fertilizer | A substance added to soil to help plants grow. It gives them important nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. |
| Closed system | A space where matter doesn’t enter or leave, but energy can still move in and out. Earth is almost a closed system because it gets energy from the sun but doesn’t gain or lose much matter. |
| ecosystem | A community of living things and their environment, where they interact and depend on each other to survive. |
| Autotrophic nutrition | When an organism makes its own food, usually using sunlight, like plants do through photosynthesis. |
| Carnivore | An animal that eats only other animals for food. |
| biomass | The total amount of living or once-living material in an area, like plants and animals. |
| heat | A form of energy that makes things warmer. It can be given off by living things during activities like moving or digesting food. |
Created by:
user-1948443
Popular Biology sets