Download Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems Key Terms

AP Environmental Science Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems Key Terms •
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Absorption -­‐ The net movement (transport) of water and solutes from outside a cell or an organism to the interior. Photosynthesis: The biological process that captures light energy and transforms it into the chemical energy of organic molecules (such as glucose), which are manufactured from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis is performed by plants, algae, and several kinds of bacteria. The equation for photosynthesis is 6H2O + 6CO2 -­‐> C6H12O6 + 6O2 Closed System: a system that does not exchange energy with is surroundings Law of Conservation of Matter the principle that in any closed system subjected to no external forces, the mass is constant irrespective of its changes in form; the principle that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Also called law of conservation of mass, conservation of matter. Nutrient cycles or biogeochemical cycles -­‐ describe the movement of nutrients throughout ecosystems (movements between Earth's abiotic and biotic systems). The word biogeochemical is a combination of bio ("life") geo ("earth"), and chemical ("elements or compounds that cycle through the living and nonliving world") Water Cycle (hydrologic cycle) -­‐ the circulation of the earth's water, in which water evaporates from the sea into the atmosphere, where it condenses and falls as rain or snow, returning to the sea by rivers or returning to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration Carbon Cycle The continuous process by which carbon is exchanged between organisms and the environment. Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere by plants and algae and converted to carbohydrates by photosynthesis. Carbon is then passed into the food chain and returned to the atmosphere by the respiration and decay of animals, plants, and other organisms. The burning of fossil fuels also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Aerobic respiration-­‐ The process by which cells use oxygen to break down organic molecules with the release of energy that can be used for biological work. Hydrates-­‐any of a class of compounds containing chemically combined water. In the case of some hydrates, as washing soda, Na2CO3⋅10H2O, the water is loosely held and is easily lost on heating; in others, as sulfuric acid, SO3⋅H2O, or H2SO4 , it is strongly held as water of constitution. Haber-­‐Bosch process-­‐ Referred to by some as the most important technological advance of the 20th century, the Haber-­‐Bosch process fixes nitrogen from the air with hydrogen from natural gas to produce ammonia, a critical component of •
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modern fertilizers. It was the first industrial process to use high pressure to promote a chemical reaction. Nitrification-­‐ Oxidation of ammonium (NH4+) ions into nitrite (NO2-­‐) ion and then nitrate (NO3-­‐) ions by microorganisms in soil and water. Nitrate ions are absorbed by the plants as essential nutrients and, with the help of oxygen, converted (synthesized) into plant protein (amino acids). Ammonification -­‐ The dead biomass of plants, animals, and microorganisms contains large concentrations of organically bound nitrogen in various forms, such as proteins and amino acids. The process of decomposition is responsible for recycling the inorganic constituents of the dead biomass and preventing it from accumulating in large unusable quantities. Decomposition is, of course, mostly carried out through the metabolic functions of a diverse array of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, other microorganisms, and some animals. Ammonification is a particular aspect of the more complex process of organic decay, specifically referring to the microbial conversion of organic-­‐nitrogen into ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4 +). Nitrogen fixation-­‐ Process by which free nitrogen (N2) is extracted from the atmosphere and converted (fixed) into nitrogen compounds which are plant nutrients (fertilizer). In nature, this process is carried out by certain bacteria (present in the root nodules of legumes such as beans and peas), blue-­‐green algae, and the lightning flash. Nutrient cycle -­‐ Pathway of a nutrient through an ecosystem from assimilation (transformation into living tissue) by organisms to release by decomposition. In other words, the path of a nutrient through an ecosystem from living to non-­‐
living things and back again. Assimiliation-­‐ the incorporation of a substance into the cells of an organism Denitrificaiton-­‐ A chemical process in which nitrates in the soil are reduced to molecular nitrogen, which is released into the atmosphere. This process is effected by the bacterium Pseudomonas denitrificans, which uses nitrates as a source of energy for other chemical reactions in a manner similar to respiration in other organisms. Acid deposition or acid rain -­‐ Any precipitation, including snow, that contains a heavy concentration of sulfuric and nitric acids. This form of pollution is a serious regional environmental problem in many large urban and industrial areas. Automobiles, certain industrial operations, and electric power plants that burn fossil fuels emit the gases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere, where they combine with water vapor in clouds to form sulfuric and nitric acids. Phosphorus cycle -­‐ Inorganic phosphates (PO43−, HPO42−, or H2PO4−) are absorbed by plants from the soil and bodies of water and eventually pass into animals through food chains. Within living organisms phosphates are built up into nucleic acids and other organic molecules. When plants and animals die, phosphates are released and returned to the abiotic environment through the action of bacteria. •
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Influx -­‐ commonly used in describing biogeochemical cycles to refer to the difference between the amount of elements entering a reservoir and the amount leaving the reservoir. Nitrogen fixing bacteria-­‐ The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) by nitrogen-­‐fixing bacteria and cyanobacteria; part of the nitrogen cycle Remote Sensing-­‐the gathering of data without actual contact with the materials or objects being studied. Some earth scientists define the term more narrowly, restricting "remote sensing" to the use of techniques involving radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum. The latter category includes visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light as well as lower-­‐frequency signals in the microwave range of the spectrum. Geographic information systems (GIS)-­‐Computer storage and analysis of maps and other geographic information; one use of GIS is low-­‐energy precision application of irrigation water Deforestation -­‐ The temporary or permanent clearance of large expanses of forests for agriculture or other uses Gigaton (GT) -­‐ A unit of explosive force equal to that of one billion (109) tons of TNT. Output (to an ecosystem): Something that exits out of an ecosystem, most likely through the atmosphere (as a gas) or through stream water. Sink (reservoir) -­‐ is nutrient storage and may be different for each nutrient or they may be common depending on the nutrient.