AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Environmental Science Prerequisite Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4791953716InorganicNot formed from living things or the remains of living things0
4791953717Organicof, relating to, or derived from living matter and Carbon-containing1
4791953718NaturalFixed or determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing2
4791953719SyntheticArtificial3
4791953720KineticEnergy of motion4
4791953721Potential EnergyStored Energy5
4791953722Radioactive decayA spontaneous process in which unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation6
4791953723Half 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
4791953724Law 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
47919537251st Law of ThermodynamicsThe principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.9
47919537262nd Law of ThermodynamicsEvery energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe.10
4791953727EntropyA 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
4791953728OrganismA living thing12
4791953729SpeciesComprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding.13
4791953730PopulationA group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area14
4791953731Communityan 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
4791953732EcosystemA biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.16
4791953733ProducersMake their own food17
4791953734Autotrophsany 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
4791953735ConsumersAn organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.19
4791953736HeterotrophsAn organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products.20
4791953737DecomposersBreak down organic matter21
4791953738Photosynthesiscarbon dioxide and water --> Glucose and oxygen Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.22
4791953739Cellular Respiration (reactants and products)C6H12O6 (Glucose) + 6O2--> 6CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) + 6H20 (Water) + ATP (Energy)23
4791953740AerobicProcess that requires oxygen24
4791953741AnaerobicDescribes a process that does not require oxygen.25
4791953742AdaptationA trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce26
4791953743MutationA rare change in the DNA of a gene, ultimately creating genetic diversity.27
4791953744Gene 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
4791953745ChromosomeA threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus. Each _____ consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins.29
4791953746Gene poolCombined genetic information of all the members of a particular population30
4791953747Natural 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
4791953748ExtinctionA term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals.32
4791953749Plate 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
4791953750WeatheringThe breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.34
4791953751Climate ChangeChange in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades35
4791953752RocksA naturally formed aggregate, or mixture, of minerals; have varied chemical compositions36
4791953753MineralsA solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.37
4791953754ClimateOverall weather in an area over a long period of time38
4791953755WeatherThe condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.39
4791953756CO2carbon dioxide40
4791953757COCarbon Monoxide41
4791953758C6H12O6glucose42
4791953759CH4methane43
4791953760H2hydrogen44
4791953761H2Ooxidane/water45
4791953762N2nitrogen gas46
4791953763NOxnitrogen oxide47
4791953764NO3-nitrate48
4791953765NH3ammonia49
4791953766O2dioxide50
4791953767O3trioxygen51
4791953768Pphosphorous52
4791953769PO4phosphate53
4791953770Ssulfur54
4791953771SO2sulfur dioxide55
4791953772CLchloride56
4791953773Kpotassium57
4791953774NaClsodium chloride58
4791953775Pblead59
4791953776Hgmercury60
4791953777Rnradon61
4791953778Uuranium62
4791974296richter scaleA scale that rates an earthquake's magnitude based on the size of its seismic waves.63
4791975446biodiversityThe amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.64
4791976888geneA segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait65
4791976889traitA characteristic that an organism can pass on to its offspring through its genes.66
4791977789transpirationEvaporation of water from the leaves of a plant67
4791978446fermentationA 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
4791980408chemosynthesisProcess by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates69

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!