Module 1 Intro

Module 1—Energy Flow and the Cycling of Matter

Module Glossary

 

acid deposition: the deposit of acid to land and water through acidic rain, snow, or sleet

 

adhesion: the tendency of unlike molecules to cling together because of attractive forces

 

Water is adhesive also due to polarity—the negative and positively charged molecules in water attract other ionic molecules.

 

biodiversity: a variety in the number and kind of species in a given area

 

biogeochemical cycle: a diagram representing the movement of elements and compounds between living and non-living components of an ecosystem

 

biomagnification: the buildup of harmful chemicals in higher trophic levels (top predators)

 

biosphere: all areas on Earth that can sustain life and are inhabited by organisms (air, water, land)

 

carbon sink: a system that removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases into the atmosphere

 

chemosynthesis: the process by which certain fungi and bacteria use the energy from chemical nutrients to chemically convert carbon (inorganic) into carbohydrates (organic)

 

cohesion: inter-molecular attraction between like-molecules of a substance

 

Water is strongly cohesive due to the polarity of its molecules.

 

conservationist: someone who advocates saving and/ or conserving natural resources

 

consumers: organisms that must obtain their food (energy) by eating other organisms (producers or consumers); also called heterotrophs

 

denitrification: the process of converting nitrates in the soil into nitrogen gas

 

denitrifying bacteria: a type of soil bacteria that converts nitrates in soil into nitrogen gas, releasing this gas to the atmosphere

 

ecological footprint: an analysis of human consumption of natural resources compared to the ability of Earth to recreate them

 

This analysis gives an estimate of the area (hectares) required for humans to live based on their given lifestyles—most North American lifestyles are not currently sustainable according to the analyses.

 

equilibrium: all living components of the biosphere (e.g., humans, bacteria, plants) balance in a system; the overall fluctuations in the system balance out and there is no net change over time

 

eutrophication: excessive plant growth and decay caused by an excessive amount of chemical nutrients

 

first law of thermodynamics: energy in a system cannot be created nor destroyed; it changes forms

 

food chain: a diagram or model that uses a straight line to show how food (energy) transfers from producers to primary consumers to higher trophic levels

 

food web: a diagram or model that shows the connections among food chains (food/energy transfer) in an ecosystem

 

heat capacity: the amount of heat energy (J) required to change the temperature of one gram of substance by 1°C

 

Water has a high heat capacity of 4.19 J/g °C.

 

limiting factor: any biotic or abiotic factor that controls or limits the functioning of an organism

 

nitrification: the process of converting ammonia into nitrates or nitrites

 

nitrifying bacteria: a type of soil bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrates and nitrites

 

nitrogen fixation: the process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

 

peat: deep layers of mosses and plant remains unable to completely decompose due to the lack of oxygen in water-saturated soil

 

photoautotrophs: photosynthetic producers

 

photosynthesis: the process by which plants, algae, and some kinds of bacteria use solar energy to chemically convert carbon (inorganic) into carbohydrates (organic) such as sugars and starches

 

producers: organisms that are able to produce their own food (energy) by harnessing chemical or solar energy; also called autotrophs

 

trophic level: describes the feeding level through which matter and energy are transferred; indicates an organism’s position in the food chain (e.g., producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer)

Biology 20 © 2008 Alberta Education