Module 1 Intro

Module 1—Energy Flow and the Cycling of Matter

Lesson 3—Two Hydrogens and an Oxygen: One Small Molecule, One BIG Role

Get Focused

So you’ve looked out your back door and contemplated the role of producers and consumers in making sure energy continuously flows and supports life on Earth. But what about how stuff like matter gets around? And what “matter” really matters? Biologists tend to favour the elements of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus because THESE are essential building blocks for all life on Earth. But these chemicals don’t have legs to get from one place to another. Like people can use waterways to move themselves around, molecules interact with water to cycle themselves from point A to point B and back to point A.

You know that water is important to sustain life processes—living things die without it. But to better understand what role water plays in your back yard, you need to determine what properties of water are important when it comes to cycling the matter that matters.
 
Consider the following question as you complete this lesson:

• What chemical and physical properties of water make water an important part of biogeochemical cycles?

Module 1: Lesson 3 Assignments

Your teacher-marked Module 1: Lesson 3 Assignment requires you to submit a response to the following:

• Lesson 3 Lab: Assessing Water Quality

• Lesson 3 Lab: Societal Uses of Water

You must decide what to do with the questions that are not marked by the teacher.

Remember that these questions provide you with the practice and feedback that you need to successfully complete this course. You should respond to all the questions and place those answers in your course folder.

Biology 20 © 2008 Alberta Education