Nutrient Cycles Review

Front

What are autotrophs?

Back

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants and some bacteria.

Front

What is nitrification?

Back

The process of converting ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates, making nitrogen more usable for plants.

Front

What is combustion in the carbon cycle?

Back

A process that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels or organic matter.

Front

What is denitrification?

Back

The process of converting nitrates back into nitrogen gas, releasing it into the atmosphere.

Front

What are nitrates?

Back

The usable form of nitrogen that plants absorb from the soil, essential for their growth.

Front

What role do decomposers play in nutrient cycles?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for plants.

Front

What is the carbon cycle?

Back

The process by which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms.

Front

What is assimilation in the nitrogen cycle?

Back

The process by which plants take up nitrates and incorporate them into organic molecules.

Front

What is the role of consumers in nutrient cycles?

Back

Consumers obtain energy by eating plants or other animals, playing a key role in transferring nutrients through the ecosystem.

Front

What is ammonification?

Back

The process of converting organic nitrogen from dead organisms into ammonia.