Biology Exam #5

Which of the following describes the principal role of photosynthesis in the carbon cycle?

Using energy from the sun, plants convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into chemical energy of sugars.

A cold winter is an example of

Weather

In which process is carbon dioxide captured and converted to glucose?

Calvin Cycle

Scientists have been recording increased levels of carbon dioxide. The increased levels are due to

humans burning fossils fuels. Carbon that was formerly sequestered in reservoirs is now being released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate.

In relation to the carbon cycle, why is photosynthesis an important metabolic process to organisms on the planet?

Carbon dioxide is converted to sugar. The sugar products of photosynthesis are used as energy by the plants, and by organisms that either eat plants or eat organisms that eat plants.

Which of the following properties provides an accurate reason as to why carbon is important to living organisms?

Carbon has the ability to form long chains and complex ring structures that play an important role in forming large molecules.

Which of the following descriptions correctly explains the difference between climate and weather?

Climate refers to the long-term patterns of temperature and precipitation. Weather describes the short-term patterns of temperature and precipitation.

Which of the following is an indicator of climate change?

Decrease in snow cover and glaciers

Animals breathe in carbon dioxide that is necessary for them to stay alive.

False

Confined to only one area of the planet, climate change is only affecting species with a low tolerance for changes in their environment.

False

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the soil through their roots.

False

Without the presence of greenhouse gases, the temperature on Earth would be extremely hot.

False (it would be cold)

Which of the following statements correctly explains the greenhouse effect?

Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation emitted by the planet's surface. This trapped heat energy is released slowly back into the atmosphere.

Based on projections made by scientists studying climate change, if human activities continue to impact climate at the same rates as today, what will most likely be the future of the level of biological organization in ecosystems across the planet?

Human activities will have serious impacts on climate and on the levels of biological organization in ecosystems across the planet.

In which process is the energy from photons transferred to electrons within the chlorophyll?

Light Reaction

Select all of the following statements that correctly describe photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is a process in which chemical energy is converted into kinetic energy.

Fossil fuels are large carbon reservoirs formed from dead trees and plants that did not decay when they died about 300 million years ago.

True

Greenhouse gases act like a blanket, absorbing infrared energy and preventing it from escaping into outer space.

True

Seasons

are divisions of the year marked by variations in the amount of sunlight striking the Earth's surface.

Living things release carbon back into the environment by ____, whereas _____ takes in the carbon in the form of carbon dioxide to build energetic molecules to power life.

cellular respiration, photosynthesis

Ecosystem

refers to a level of biological organization that represents the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors.

Weather

refers to the daily temperature and chance for precipitation that may occur locally over short periods of time—from minutes to hours or days.

Climate

refers to the long-term regional or even global average of temperature and rainfall patterns over seasons, years, or decades.

All gas molecules in the atmosphere are able to absorb infrared radiation

False

Climate change creates new risks for humans because of its potential for vector-borne diseases, or diseases in which an infectious agent is spread from one organism to another.

True

Which of the following is true about the burning of fossil fuels? Please mark all that are correct.

- Burning fossil fuels decreases the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gasses. - Burning fossil fuels is considered sustainable in regards to a fuel source.

Select all of the following statements that correctly describe carbon's chemical structure.

- Carbon's protons, neutrons, and electrons interact with atoms of other elements to form chemical bonds. - Carbon has six electrons. All six electrons reside in the outermost shell.

What purpose is there for a plant to synthesize the sugars produced during photosynthesis?

- to make oxygen - to make carbon dioxide

Biomes are distinguished from one another by the two most important climatic variables

Temperature and precipitation

By _____________ the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the natural greenhouse effect is amplified, causing the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and land surface to ______________.

Increase; rise

Biomes

describe the general characteristics of similar ecosystems across the globe.

Greenhouse gases are normally present in the atmosphere and play an important role in maintaining the climate of the planet within a range that supports life.

True

Human activities are changing the greenhouse effect by increasing the concentrations of greenhouse gases.

True

The worldwide increase in average surface temperatures of Earth is called __________.

Global warming

Scientists studying global warming have noted an unusual trend in carbon dioxide level. Which of the following statements explains the trend of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

The rise in carbon dioxide levels have occurred relatively rapidly.

One consequence of climate change is change in temperature and precipitation patterns, which results in

an increase in the severity and frequency of droughts and heat waves.