AMSCO Chapter 4 Vocabulary

Geosphere

• The solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle.

• The gaseous layer surrounding the earth.

• The liquid layer of the earth that includes oceans and rivers.

• The layer of the earth that supports all living organisms.

Atmosphere

• The layer of water surrounding the earth.

• The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.

• The solid outer layer of the earth.

• The region of space beyond the earth's atmosphere.

limiting factor

• phosphorus is a limiting factor for plant growth in a system.

• nitrogen is the only nutrient required for plant growth.

• water is not essential for plant growth.

• sunlight is the primary limiting factor for all plants.

Phosphorus Cycle

• P is an important mineral for plant and animal growth.

• P is primarily used for energy storage in plants.

• P is a gas that is essential for photosynthesis.

• P is a trace element that has no significant role in ecosystems.

Nitrogen Fixating Bacteria

• Microorganisms capable of transforming atmospheric nitrogen into fixed nitrogen (inorganic compounds usable by plants).

• Bacteria that decompose organic matter into nitrogen gas.

• Bacteria that convert fixed nitrogen back into atmospheric nitrogen.

• Bacteria that enhance soil fertility by producing organic nitrogen.

Biomass

• The total mass of organisms in a given area or volume.

• The energy produced by living organisms.

• The number of different species in an ecosystem.

• The total volume of water in a habitat.

Ecosystem

• A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

• A group of unrelated species living in the same area.

• A collection of non-living things in a specific location.

• A type of climate that supports various life forms.

Food Web

• A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

• A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

• A diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

• A type of food chain that only includes herbivores.

Anaerobic Respiration

• The process of producing cellular energy with oxygen.

• The process of producing cellular energy without oxygen.

• The process of breaking down glucose in the presence of oxygen.

• The process of converting energy into heat.

Biosphere

• The global sum of all ecosystems, where life exists.

• A layer of gases surrounding the planet.

• The study of living organisms and their interactions.

• A specific region of the Earth with a distinct climate.