Word | Definition |
atoms | the fundanmental unit of all elements |
organic molecules | all living things and products that are uniquely produced by living things, such as wood, leather and sugar; all chemical compounds or molecules, natural or synthetic, that conatind carbon atoms as an integral part of their molecular structure. |
kinetic | the energy inherent in otion or movement, including molecular movement (heat) and the movement of waves (hence, radiation and therfore light) |
Potential energy | the ablility ot do work that is stored in some chemical or physical state; for exp., gasoline is a form of potential energy because the ablity to do work is stored in the chemical state and is released as the fuel is burned in an engine |
denitrification | the jprocess of reducing oxidized nitrogen compounds present in soil or water back to nitrogen gas in the atmosphere; is a natural process ocnducted by certain bacteria and is now utilized in the treatment of sewage effluents |
synthetic fuels | fuels similar or identical to those that come form crude oil or natural gas. Synfuelsare produced from coal, oil shale, or tar sands. |
inorganic | all things such as air, water, minerals, and metals, that are neither living organisms nor products uniquely produced by living things |
glucose | a simple sugar, the major product of photosynthesis; serves as the basic biulding block for cellulose and starches and as the major "fuel" for the release of energy through cell repiration in both plants and animals |
entropy | degree of disorder; increasing entroy means increasing disorder |
photosynthesis | the chemical process carrried on by green plants through which light energy is used to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water; oxygen is released as a by-product |
aerobic | with oxygen |
anaerobic | without oxygen |
cell respiration | the chemical process that occurs in all living cells whereby organic compounds are broken down to release energy required for life process. |
nitrogen fixation | the process of chemically converting nirtogen gas form the aire into compounds such as nitrates or ammonia that can be used by plants in building amino acids and other nitrogen-containing organic molecules |
legumes | the group of pod-bearing land plants that is virtually alone in its ability ot fix nitrogen; legumes include such common plants as peas, beans, clovers, alfalfa, and locust trees, but no major cereals grains |