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AP Environmental Science: Basics Flashcards

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9864836937InorganicNot formed from living things or the remains of living things0
9864836938Organicof, relating to, or derived from living matter and Carbon-containing1
9864836939NaturalFixed or determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing2
9864836940SyntheticArtificial3
9864836941KineticEnergy of motion4
9864836942Potential EnergyStored Energy5
9864836943Radioactive decayA spontaneous process in which unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation6
9864836944Half lifethe time required for something to fall to half its initial value (in particular, the time for half the atoms in a radioactive substance to disintegrate)7
9864836945Law of Conservation of MatterThe principle that the total amount of matter is constant during any physical or chemical change (matter is neither created nor destroyed during these types of changes).8
98648369461st Law of ThermodynamicsThe principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.9
98648369472nd Law of ThermodynamicsEvery energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe.10
9864836948EntropyA measure of disorder or randomness and a function of thermodynamic variables, as temperature, pressure, or composition, that is a measure of the energy that is not available for work during a thermodynamic process11
9864836949OrganismA living thing12
9864836950SpeciesComprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding.13
9864836951PopulationA group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area14
9864836952Communityan interacting group of various species in a common location. For example, a forest of trees and undergrowth plants, inhabited by animals and rooted in soil containing bacteria and fungi15
9864836953EcosystemA biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.16
9864836954ProducersMake their own food17
9864836955Autotrophsany organism capable of self-nourishment by using inorganic materials as a source of nutrients and using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as a source of energy, as most plants and certain bacteria and protists.18
9864836956ConsumersAn organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.19
9864836957HeterotrophsAn organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products.20
9864836958DecomposersBreak down organic matter21
9864836959Photosynthesiscarbon dioxide and water --> Glucose and oxygen Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.22
9864836960Cellular Respiration (reactants and products)C6H12O6 (Glucose) + 6O2--> 6CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) + 6H20 (Water) + ATP (Energy)23
9864836961AerobicProcess that requires oxygen24
9864836962AnaerobicDescribes a process that does not require oxygen.25
9864836963AdaptationA trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce26
9864836964MutationA rare change in the DNA of a gene, ultimately creating genetic diversity.27
9864836965Gene TraitRepresented in pairs with an upper case letter for the dominant (A) and a lower case letter for the recessive (a). Since half the genetic material is from each parent, the offspring's traits are represented as a combination of these.28
9864836966ChromosomeA threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus. Each _____ consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins.29
9864836967Gene poolCombined genetic information of all the members of a particular population30
9864836968Natural SelectionA process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.31
9864836969ExtinctionA term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals.32
9864836970Plate TectonicsA theory stating that the earth's surface is broken into plates that move. Geological processes, such as continental drift, volcanoes, and earthquakes, resulting from plate movement33
9864836971WeatheringThe breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.34
9864836972Climate ChangeChange in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades35
9864836973RocksA naturally formed aggregate, or mixture, of minerals; have varied chemical compositions36
9864836974MineralsA solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.37
9864836975ClimateOverall weather in an area over a long period of time38
9864836976WeatherThe condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.39
9864836977CO2carbon dioxide40
9864836978COCarbon Monoxide41
9864836979C6H12O6glucose42
9864836980CH4methane43
9864836981H2hydrogen44
9864836982H2Ooxidane/water45
9864836983N2nitrogen gas46
9864836984NOxnitrogen oxide47
9864836985NO3-nitrate48
9864836986NH3ammonia49
9864836987O2dioxide50
9864836988O3trioxygen51
9864836989Pphosphorous52
9864836990PO4phosphate53
9864836991Ssulfur54
9864836992SO2sulfur dioxide55
9864836993CLchloride56
9864836994Kpotassium57
9864836995NaClsodium chloride58
9864836996Pblead59
9864836997Hgmercury60
9864836998Rnradon61
9864836999Uuranium62
9864837000Richter scaleA scale that rates an earthquake's magnitude based on the size of its seismic waves.63
9864837001BiodiversityThe amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.64
9864837002GeneA segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait65
9864837003TraitA characteristic that an organism can pass on to its offspring through its genes.66
9864837004TranspirationEvaporation of water from the leaves of a plant67
9864837005FermentationA catabolic process that makes a limited amount of ATP from glucose without an electron transport chain and that produces a characteristic end product, such as ethyl alcohol or lactic acid. Process by which cells release energy in the absence of oxygen68
9864837006ChemosynthesisProcess by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates69

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