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Bio Concept 2 Notes
Biogeochemical Cycles Notes for 1/29 Biology Test
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are biogeochemical cycles? | the movement of a particular form of matter through the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem |
| What are the 3 main biogeochemical cycles we study? | water (hydrologic), carbon, and nitrogen |
| Why must water, carbon, and nitrogen be continuously cycled on Earth? | because matter can neither be created nor destroyed and Earth is a closed system |
| What is necessary for the life processes of all living things? | water |
| What are the 4 places water is found in? | 1. Earth's surface (including oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.) 2. under Earth's surface (groundwater, aquifers) 3. in the atmosphere 4. in living organisms |
| What is the chemical formula for water? | H2O |
| Which cycle is driven by the sun and causes evaporation from reservoirs and organisms? | water cycle |
| What are the 6 main stages of the water cycle? | 1. precipitation 2. infiltration 3. runoff 4. evaporation 5. transpiration 6. condensation |
| Describe the precipitation stage of the water cycle. | water falls to Earth as a liquid (usually rain, sleet, or snow) |
| Describe the infiltration stage of the water cycle. | some water seeps underground from the surface of the Earth |
| What is an aquifer? | an underground layer of permeable rock that can hold water |
| Describe the runoff stage of the water cycle. | liquid water that isn't infiltrated runs along the surface and collects in bodies of water |
| Describe the evaporation stage of the water cycle. | sun heats liquid water to vapor and it rises to the atmosphere |
| Describe the transpiration stage of the water cycle. | water rises back into the atmosphere as water vapor from plants |
| Describe the condensation stage of the water cycle. | water vapor condenses to form clouds before precipitating again |
| How do all organisms contribute to the water cycle? | all organisms take in water for nutrient transport, chemical reactions, diffusions, ect. Which also means they have to eliminate water too (ex: urine, feces) |
| When do organisms release water? | organisms release water when breaking down food for energy (cellular respiration) |
| When do plants take in water? | plants take in water to make sugar (photosynthesis) |
| What is the chemical formula for cellular respiration? | C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP |
| What is the chemical formula for photosynthesis? | 6CO2 + 6H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2 |
| What are 4 examples of negative human impact on the water cycle? | 1. deforestation (decreases transpiration) 2. paving/building/development (increases runoff and decreases infiltration) 3. pollution 4. eutrophication |
| What is eutrophication? | when a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, causing excessive algae growth |
| what is the basis of all organic molecules and is found in a variety of chemical forms? | carbon |
| how does carbon in the carbon cycle differ from water in the water cycle? | carbon changes chemical forms as it cycles (unlike water which is always H2O) |
| What are the chemical formulas for carbon in the atmosphere and in plants? | carbon is CO2 in the atmosphere. carbon is C6H12O6 as glucose in plants |
| What are macromolecules? | large molecules necessary for life |
| List the 4 macromolecules. | 1. proteins (muscle, skin, etc.) 2. carbohydrates (starches, sugars) 3. lipids (fats) 4. nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) |
| What are the 5 places carbon is found in? | 1. macromolecules 2. our atmosphere (as CO2) 3. minerals and rocks 4. fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) 5. organic (living) materials in soil or aquatic sediments |
| What are the 6 main stages of the carbon cycle? | 1. photosynthesis 2. cellular respiration 3. consumption 4. decomposition 5. fossilization 6. combustion |
| Describe the photosynthesis stage of the carbon cycle. | plants capture CO2 from the atmosphere and use it to make sugar |
| Describe the cellular respiration stage of the carbon cycle. | CO2 released into atmosphere as waste from metabolism |
| Describe the consumption stage of the carbon cycle. | one organism eats another for carbon |
| Describe the decomposition stage of the carbon cycle. | decomposers break down carbon from dead organisms, recycling it in the soil |
| Describe the fossilization stage of the carbon cycle. | converts carbon from once-living organisms into fossil fuels through intense heat and compression |
| Describe the combustion stage of the carbon cycle. | CO2 released in the atmosphere from burning |
| How do decomposers contribute to the carbon cycle? | They break down dead materials and return nutrients (like carbon) to the soil |
| Bacteria, earthworms, and fungi are examples of what type of organisms? | decomposers |
| How do photosynthetic organisms (like plants and algae) contribute to the carbon cycle? | they remove CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into simple sugars |
| How do animals, plants, and fungi contribute to the carbon cycle? | they do cellular respiration in order to break down carbon-rich foods for energy |
| How do humans negatively impact the carbon cycle? | through combustion. When wood or fossil fuels, which contain carbon are burned, it causes a major increase of CO2 in the atmosphere |
| How is nitrogen similar to carbon? | they both take on a variety of chemical forms |
| What are the 5 places nitrogen is found in? | 1. atmosphere (in the form of a gas N2, elemental nitrogen) 2. macromolecules (proteins and nucleic acids) 3. fossil fuels 4. waste 5. soil |
| Plants and animals cannot use nitrogen when it is in what form? | N2, elemental nitrogen |
| What are the 6 main stages of the nitrogen cycle? | 1. nitrogen fixation 2. consumption 3. decomposition 4. ammonification 5. nitrification 6. denitrification |
| Describe the nitrogen fixation stage of the nitrogen cycle. | bacteria (or lightning) in the soil or water convert nitrogen (from the air or water) into forms that plants can use |
| Describe the consumption stage of the nitrogen cycle. | one organism eats another and obtains the nitrogen in it |
| Describe the decomposition stage of the nitrogen cycle. | decomposers, like bacteria, break down dead matter, returning nitrogen to the soil |
| Describe the ammonification stage of the nitrogen cycle. | bacteria concert nitrogen from waste (urine and feces) into ammonia |
| Describe the nitrification stage of the nitrogen cycle. | bacteria convert nitrogen in ammonia into nitrates and nitrites to be absorbed by plants in their roots |
| In what stage of the nitrogen cycle does nitrogen enter the food chain and eventually reaches us? | Nitrification. When bacteria convert nitrogen in ammonia into nitrates and nitrites to be absorbed by plants in their roots |
| Describe the denitrification stage of the nitrogen cycle. | bacteria convert nitrogen in ammonia to N2 so it can go back into the atmosphere |
| Describe the nitrogen cycle in an aquatic environment. | 1. organic matter and waste from aquatic animal turns into ammonia 2. nitrosomonas bacteria turn ammonia into nitrites 3. nitrobacteria turn nitrites into nitrates 4. nitrates are absorbed by aquatic plants 5. aquatic animal eats aquatic plants |
| How is the nitrogen cycle different from other geochemical cycles? | nitrogen cycle is different from other geochemical cycles in that no step is completed without the help of living organisms |
| What is the most important living organism in converting nitrogen to different forms? | Bacteria |
| How does bacteria contribute to the nitrogen cycle? | it is the most important living organism in converting nitrogen to different forms |
| How do fungi and other decomposers contribute to the nitrogen cycle? | they break down nitrogen-rich waste and put it in the soil |
| What are 2 examples of negative human impact on the nitrogen cycle? | 1. fertilizers: the use of fertilizers adds way too much nitrogen to the soil, creating an imbalance 2. combustion: not as major of an impact as it is on the carbon cycle, but burning fossil fuels releases excess nitrogen into the atmosphere |
| What can the excess nitrogen from fertilizers cause? | the excess nitrogen from fertilizers can runoff and cause eutrophication |
Created by:
miayablasingame
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