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