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AP Environmental Science: Basics Flashcards

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9833830886InorganicNot formed from living things or the remains of living things0
9833830887Organicof, relating to, or derived from living matter and Carbon-containing1
9833830888NaturalFixed or determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing2
9833830889SyntheticArtificial3
9833830890KineticEnergy of motion4
9833830891Potential EnergyStored Energy5
9833830892Radioactive decayA spontaneous process in which unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation6
9833830893Half 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
9833830894Law 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
98338308951st Law of ThermodynamicsThe principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.9
98338308962nd Law of ThermodynamicsEvery energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe.10
9833830897EntropyA 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
9833830898OrganismA living thing12
9833830899SpeciesComprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding.13
9833830900PopulationA group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area14
9833830901Communityan 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
9833830902EcosystemA biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.16
9833830903ProducersMake their own food17
9833830904Autotrophsany 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
9833830905ConsumersAn organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.19
9833830906HeterotrophsAn organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products.20
9833830907DecomposersBreak down organic matter21
9833830908Photosynthesiscarbon dioxide and water --> Glucose and oxygen Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.22
9833830909Cellular Respiration (reactants and products)C6H12O6 (Glucose) + 6O2--> 6CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) + 6H20 (Water) + ATP (Energy)23
9833830910AerobicProcess that requires oxygen24
9833830911AnaerobicDescribes a process that does not require oxygen.25
9833830912AdaptationA trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce26
9833830913MutationA rare change in the DNA of a gene, ultimately creating genetic diversity.27
9833830914Gene 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
9833830915ChromosomeA threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus. Each _____ consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins.29
9833830916Gene poolCombined genetic information of all the members of a particular population30
9833830917Natural 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
9833830918ExtinctionA term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals.32
9833830919Plate 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
9833830920WeatheringThe breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.34
9833830921Climate ChangeChange in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades35
9833830922RocksA naturally formed aggregate, or mixture, of minerals; have varied chemical compositions36
9833830923MineralsA solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.37
9833830924ClimateOverall weather in an area over a long period of time38
9833830925WeatherThe condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.39
9833830926CO2carbon dioxide40
9833830927COCarbon Monoxide41
9833830928C6H12O6glucose42
9833830929CH4methane43
9833830930H2hydrogen44
9833830931H2Ooxidane/water45
9833830932N2nitrogen gas46
9833830933NOxnitrogen oxide47
9833830934NO3-nitrate48
9833830935NH3ammonia49
9833830936O2dioxide50
9833830937O3trioxygen51
9833830938Pphosphorous52
9833830939PO4phosphate53
9833830940Ssulfur54
9833830941SO2sulfur dioxide55
9833830942CLchloride56
9833830943Kpotassium57
9833830944NaClsodium chloride58
9833830945Pblead59
9833830946Hgmercury60
9833830947Rnradon61
9833830948Uuranium62
9833830949Richter scaleA scale that rates an earthquake's magnitude based on the size of its seismic waves.63
9833830950BiodiversityThe amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.64
9833830951GeneA segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait65
9833830952TraitA characteristic that an organism can pass on to its offspring through its genes.66
9833830953TranspirationEvaporation of water from the leaves of a plant67
9833830954FermentationA 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
9833830955ChemosynthesisProcess by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates69

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