week2 – Flashcards
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Which of the following statements is true regarding molecules and compounds?
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both made out of atoms
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Match the following characteristics Of water to the correct description of Why that characteristic is essential to life on earth.
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Molecules are polar. -Dissolves substances easily
Water remains liquid at a wide range of temperatures. -Helps organisms to function in cool and warm condition
Molecules are cohesive. -Aids capillary action and surface tension
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Positively or negatively charged atoms are called
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ions
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The__scale is used to represent hydrogen ion concentrations in water, and differentiates acids and bases.
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pH
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Organic compounds are primarily made Of chains and rings of
atoms.
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carbon
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The principle Of conservation Of matter states that matter
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cannot be destroyed or created under normal circumstances
can be converted to different forms
can be recycled
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Matter consists of __, which are substances that cannot be broken down into simpler forms by
ordinary chemical reactions.
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elements
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The four major categories Of organic compounds in living things are lipids, carbohydrates,
proteins, and
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nucleic acid
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DNA is composed of varying arrangements of__ different nucleotides.
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4
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things on a cell
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enzymes
wall or membrane
nucleus
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____ involves all the energy and matter exchanges that occur within a living cell or organism.
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metabolism
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Which Of the following statements about energy are true? (Select all that apply.)
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Low-quality energy is not generally as easy to use as high-quality energy.
A mass can have a high heat content but a low temperature.
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Match each type Of energy to its correct definition.
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Kinetic- Energy in moving objects
potential- Stored energy, as in a rock poised on top of a mountain
Chemical- Energy stored in molecular bonds
Heat- Energy transferred between objects of different temperature
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The first law Of thermodynamics states that ___
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energy cannot be created ar destroyed under normal conditions
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The ___ law of thermodynamics recognizes that entropy (disorder, or loss of energy or organization)
tends to increase in nature.
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second
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Green plants, algae, and some bacteria capture solar radiation and convert it to organic molecules in a
process called
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photosynthesis.
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Which Of these statements correctly describes the process Of cellular respiration? (Select all that
apply.)
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Sugars and oxygen are broken down to release energy, water, and carbon dioxide.
Cellular respiration is basically the opposite of photosynthesis.
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The original Latin meaning Of the term species is____
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kind
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A population is
and a biological community is_____
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all the members of a species living in a given area at the same time; all the populations living and
interacting in a particular area
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We think Of ecosystems as systems because
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energy and matter flow through, and are stored in, the component parts
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producers
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green plant
algae
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consumers
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carnivors
herbivores
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Metabolism involves
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all the energy and matter exchanges that occur within a living cell or organism
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The sun supplies
which is important to living organisms because plants can capture it
and convert it into a form accessible to animals.
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energy
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In general, an ecosystem includes
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organisms and nonliving factors in their environment
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Green plants and algae are categorized as primary ___, whereas animals are considered ___ because they must feed on other organisms or their remains.
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producers
consumers
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most residence time for water
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ocean
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Which Of the following are major processes in the carbon cycle?
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Combustion
Photosynthesis
Respiration
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Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Scavenger
Detritivore
Decomposer
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Plants only
Flesh only
Both plants and animals
Dead carcasses
Litter, debris, and dung
Organic material remnants
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We can characterize the hydrologic cycle in terms Of a series Of steps. Recreate this series with
evaporation at the top followed by the next steps in the sequence in descending order.
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eva
condens
precipitation
runoff
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An organism's feeding status in an ecosystem can be expressed as its
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trophic level
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A food___ is a linked feeding series, and a food ____ is an interconnected arrangement of several predator and prey relations generally inhabiting the same ecosystem.
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chain
web
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True or false: Bacteria play an important part in driving the global nitrogen cycle.
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tru
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Phosphorus is an important matter Of concern because
(Choose all that apply.)
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phosphorus is a key nutrient
most phosphorus in ecosystems comes from rocks and mineral sources that are in limited supply
phosphorus can lead to environmental pollution
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Sugar molecules
Calcium carbonate
Coal and oil
Carbon dioxide
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Plants
Shells and skeletons of marine organisms
Earth's sediments and rock layers
Atrnosphere
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-based ("organic") compounds are the foundation Of organisms.
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carbon
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Rank the following carbon cycle exchanges with the process moving the most carbon at the top
and the least at the bottom.
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Photosynthesis by land plants
Photosynthesis by marine plankt(
Buming of fossil fuels
Land clearing, burning
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Which Of these accurately describe the degradation Of energy as it is used? (Select all that
apply.)
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Chemical energy in food is converted to kinetic energy in an animal.
Heat energy in an animal is convened to the kinetic energy of running.
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Acids
Bases
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Substances that readily give up hydrogen ions
in water
Substances that readily bond with hydrogen
ions in water
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The nucleus of an atom contains
neutrons and protons.
A "cloud" of electrons surrounds the nucleus.
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neutrons and protons
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Which Of the following are examples Of important carbon sinks? (Select all that apply.)
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Expansive boreal forests
Oceans
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Undersea explorations in the 1970s revealed chemosynthetic communities with organisms
capable Of using the chemical bonds between the inorganic elements Of
energy for synthesis Of organic molecules.
to provide
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hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or hydrogen gas (H2)
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The four elements that make up more than 96 percent of the mass of most living organisms are
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oxygen,
carbon, hydrogen, and
n itrogen
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Which statement best describes the way the quality Of energy normally changes as it moves
through a system?
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Energy degrades or dissipates.
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A(n) __atom gives up one or more electrons,
and a(n)__ atom gains electrons.
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oxidized
reduced
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Table salt (NaCl) dissolves in water to form Na+ and Cr.
Identify which ion is an anion and which is a cation.
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cation
anion
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Primary productivity in an ecosystem relates to the
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amount of biomass produced in a given area during a given time period
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An element's atomic number involves the number Of protons in an atom because
(Select all that apply.)
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the number of neutrons can vary (producing different isotopes)
the number of protons does not vary
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Evaporation from the ocean
Precipitation over the ocean
Precipitation over the land
Evaporation from soil, streams, rivers, and lakes
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425,000 km3
385,000 km3
111,000 km3
30,000 km3
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Which Of the following are roles specific to enzymes? (Select all that apply.)
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Enzymes dispose of cell wastes.
Enzymes are molecular catalysts, regulating chemical reactions.
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In a covalent bond, atoms share ___.
In an ionic bond, ions are held together by the attraction of____ electrical charges.
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electron
opposite
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Since 1945, human inputs have led to more than double the amount Of nitrogen in circulation.
Select all the sources Of this additional nitrogen.
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Synthetic ammonia fertilizers
Burning of fossil fuels in car engines and industrial furnaces
nitrogen fixing soybeans
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What are the main sources Of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in Chesapeake Bay?
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Atmospheric deposition from transport and industry, wastewater, and agriculture
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Entropy tends to
over time in natural systems.
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increase
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Being "fixed" by bacteria,______
is important to living things because it is an essential component of
proteins, enzymes, DNA, and many other organic molecules.
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nitrogen
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Why are isotopes important in environmental science?
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Isotopes let us approximate past temperatures from air bubbles in ice cores.
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Carbon and nitrogen
involves capturing atmospheric forms and converting them into
forms usable by both plants and animals.
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fixing
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Which Of these examples correctly describe energy quality as it relates to environmental
science? (Select all that apply.)
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Solar and wind energy are diffuse and hard to use.
The kinetic energ of wind is low-quality and hard to store efficiently.
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Differing numbers of which particle can make different isotopes Of an element?
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neutrons
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There are more rabbits than foxes in an ecosystem because
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energy is degraded and dissipated within a trophic level and as it is transferred to
successively higher trophic levels in the pyramid
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When oxygen is available, bacteria may combine ammonia (NHS) with oxygen to form
(Select all that apply.)
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NO nitric oxide
N2O nitrous oxide
N03- nitrate
N02- nitrite
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Something different about the phosphorus cycle, as compared to both the nitrogen and carbon
cycles, is that it
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has no gaseous or atmospheric phase
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In a trophic pyramid, it is observed that less energy is available at the top (top predators) as
compared to the bottom (primary producers). Where does the energy go as it is used in the
ecosystem? (Select all the statements that are correct.)
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Producers' high-quality chemical energy is transformed to lower-quality energy forms (heat) that
dissipates to the environment as organisms move.
Organisms in each trophic level live and grow, which requires energy, so less energy is available
to transfer up to the next level in the pyramid.
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Carbon is stored for very long periods Of time in the
longest storage times.)
(Select the two answers with the
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form of coal and oil below the earth's surface
Coal and oil are made up of the carboniferous remains of plants or microorganisms that are
compressed and chemically altered over millions of years.
shells and skeletons of marine organisms at the bottom of the ocean
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Why do excessive nutrient levels in Chesapeake Bay cause declining crab fisheries? (Select all
that apply.)
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Algal growth is excessive.
oxygen is depleated
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What are the benefits Of mapping and monitoring satellite-collected data or
chlorophyll abundance around the world? (Select all that apply.)
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Chlorophyll abundance in the ocean is an essential indicator of ecosystem health.
Primary productivity is a way of measuring C02 uptake, and that information can be used to
model the potential impacts on climate change.
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Why is it important that carbon and nitrogen be "fixed"?
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It involves converting them from a gaseous state into forms that are useful to plants and other
organisms.
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Acids or bases can cause environmental problems because they
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react readily with living tissues
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Isotopes Of oxygen, which differ in mass, are used to evaluate
research.
in environmental science
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climate history
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As a general rule of thumb, each trophic level has about
level below it in the pyramid.
as much energy as the trophic
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1/10
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Heat stored in the ocean is Of
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low-level energy
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is the process in which bacteria use chemical bonds between inorganic elements to
provide energy for synthesis Of organic molecules.
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chemosynthesis
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is the term used to describe an organism that thrives in a variety Of severe or harsh
conditions.
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Extremophile
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Which Of these examples correctly describe energy quality as it relates to environmental
science? (Select all that apply.)
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Solar and wind energy are diffuse and hard to use.
The kinetic energy of wind is low-quality and hard to store efficiently.
