Bio 336 Test 1
Energy Processing
Living things require energy to maintain internal organization, power activities, and perform the chemical reactions associated with life. -Photosynthesis -
Divergent Zones & Oceanic Ridge:
Locations where hot, molten magma reaches earths surface • Forms new crust as it cools and solidifies • Pushes old crust outwards
Atoms
The smallest unit of a substance or element with unique chemical properties -ex: hydrogen or oxygen
Molecule
Two or more atoms held together through chemical bonds. -ex: H2O
Euphoric Zone
enough light for photosynthesis
Tides
regular fluctuations in the height of the sea surface -are caused by the combined effects of gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and Sun
Outgroup
shares a common ancestor, but is the least related in the clade
Geology
study of the planet earth
Observational Science
- Scientists collect data that can be used to describe the natural world. - Very useful when little is known about the subject.
Coastal Downwelling
-Surface water sinks and mixes with deep water -Ekman transport pushes water towards shore where it piles up and is pushed downwards
Environmental Science
A multidisciplinary academic field that integrates physical, biological, and information sciences to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems
Thermocline
A rapid change in temperature over small depth interval
Response to the Environment
A response can take many forms, from the contraction of a unicellular organism to external chemicals, to complex reactions involving all the senses of multicellular organisms -
Controlled Experiments
A test of the effect of a single variable by changing it while keeping all other variables the same.
Lithosphere
Solid - outermost shell • Composed of the crust and outer mantel
Ocean Currents
can significantly influence the climate of coastal areas
Passive Margin (east coast)
Flat coastal plains, wide shelves, and relatively gradual continental slopes.
Properties of Water
-Cohesion • Solid water (Ice) is less dense than liquid water • High heat capacity • UniversalSolvent
Waves
-Complex mix of water and energy driven by the wind -Waves transport energy, not water -The faster the wind blows, and the longer the distance over which it blows (fetch), the bigger the wave
Ecology
-Ecology addresses the full scale of life, from tiny bacteria to processes that span the entire planet. -The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment
How geological processes shape and modify coastlines?
1) Island Formation 2) Continental Margins
Why do we have environmental Problems?
1. Unsustainable resource use 2. Pollution and degradation of natural Systems 3. Loss of Biodiversity
Asexual Reproduction
Asexual primarily done by single celled organisms, can be done by some animals by budding, or plants by sending out runners
Continental Margins
Boundaries between continental crust and oceanic crust
Cells
Cells make up the complex organization of living organisms -1. Plasma Membrane - thin layer separating the internal cell environment from the external environment 2. DNA 3. Ribosomes - specialized molecules that read the DNA code and translate it into a language cells understand 4. Cytoplasm
Coastal Upwelling
Deep water rises and mixes with surface water -Ekman transport pushes water off shore, deep water rises to replace it -Upwelling brings cold, nutrient rich water to the surface - Upwelling zones support rich and abundant ecosystems
Cambrian Explosion
Evidence in the fossil record show that all major animal phyla were established during the transi
Scientific Theory
Highly supported explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation.
Solid vs. Liquids
Most substances are more dense as a solid than as a liquid but not water!
ENSO
Naturally occurring, irregularly timed fluctuation in sea surface temperature and wind patters in the equatorial pacific
Darwin's Observations and Inferences:
Observation 1 = Overproduction: Inference 1 = Competition Observation 2 = Individual Variation Inference 2 = Differential Survival and Reproduction
Osmosis and Diffusion
Osmosis = diffusion of water across a membrane • Diffusion=movementsofsolutesfromanareaof high concentration to low concentration
Plants and Animals
Plants do both photosynthesis and cellular respiration -Animals only do cellular respiration
Great Ocean Conveyor
Playsamajorroleinregulatingearthsclimateand fluctuations in the strength and direction may have caused rapid climate change
Experimental Science
Scientists attempt to explain observations by testing hypotheses-hypothesis driven
Active Margin (west coast)
Steep rocky shorelines, narrow continental shelves and steep continental slopes
Geosciences
Study of the planet earth: • Shape of the surface and the movement of water • Soil formation • Plate tectonics • Innerearth • Magneticandgravity fields
Cohesion
Tendency of water to stick to itself -bugs trapped in water
Solar Radiation
The energy that drives the global climate and ocean circulation is ultimately derived from solar radiation
Covalent Bonds
Very strong bonds where two atoms share one or more pairs of outer-shell electrons
Water is the Universal Solvent
Water is the Universal Solvent because it will dissolve more chemicals than any other substance
Thermohaline circulation
circulation of oceans deep water driven by changes in temperature and salinity.
Plate tectonics
a scientific theory that describes the large‐scale motion of Earth's lithosphere
Wave Refraction
bending of waves as the approach and uneven shoreline
Ecosystem Services
benefits of the environment to humans • Supporting services- pollination • Regulating services-climate regulation • Provisioning services- food, water, energy • Cultural services-nonmaterial benefits
Biology
is concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy
Carbon Fixation
is the conversion of inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide) to organic compounds by living organisms. -Oxygen is lost as a by‐product
Gyers
large circular systems of ocean currents that form in the main ocean basins -"pile up" water at the center
Hot spots
locations were magma reaches the surface forming volcanos or mountains that are not near divergent boundaries - ex: Yellow Stone, Hot pool of magma has risen near the surface. Crust is unusually thin
Subduction zones
locations where two plates collide and the oceanic plate moves downward and underneath the continental plate.
Osmoregulation
maintaining a constant internal balance of salts and water
Cellular Respiration
the aerobic harvesting of energy (ATP) from sugars.
Speciation
the process by which 2 or more species arise from one common ancestor
The Coriolis Effect
the rotation of the earth causes anything moving in a straight line over its surface to appear to be deflected or curve to the right or left Ex: a plane a moving at a curve
Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
ATP
to power other cellular activities - Cellular Work is Driven by ATP
Characteristics of life
• Cells • Energy Processing • Reproduction • Response to the Environment • Evolutionary Adaptation
Wave terminology
• Crest = the highest point of a wave • Trough = the lowest point of the wave • Height = the distance between the highest and lowest point • Wavelength = distance between crests • Frequency = waves/minute (for example, 5 waves/minute) • Period = time interval between crests (for example, 12 seconds)
Continental Crust
• Crust which makes up the land masses • Granite • Less dense, lighter in color • Thicker
Oceanic Crust
• Crust which makes up the ocean floor • Basalt • More dense, darker in color • Thinner