sci331 chap 3

Dead Zone

? A region of water so depleted of oxygen that marine organisms are killed or driven away.

Hypoxia

? The low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters of this region represent this condition.

Hypoxia The low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters of this region represent this condition.

Fully oxygenated water contains up to 10 parts per million (ppm)...
Concentrations drop below 2 ppm, creatures that can leave an...
Below 1.5 ppm, most marine organisms die. (creating a hypoxic zone)
The dead zone starts near the mouths of the Mississippi and...
The Gulf is being over-enriched by nitrogen and phosphorus...
The excess of nutrients spur plankton blooms in the Gulf,...
Coastal dead zones have appeared in 200 other areas throughout...

Phytoplankton

? microscopic photosynthetic algae, protists, and cyanobacteria that drift near the surface.

Zooplankton

? tiny animals that consume them.

Earths Environmental Systems

Geophysical processes that shape the land
Air
Water
Climate
Ecological webs of relationships among species
Interaction of living organisms with the nonliving entities around them
A cycle that guide the flow of key chemical elements and compounds that support life and regulate climate.

The Gulf is being over-enriched by nitrogen and phosphorus flushed sown the Mississippi River.

Nutrient pollution comes from

Fertilizers used on farms
Urban runoff
Industrial discharges
Atmospheric deposition from fossil fuel combustion
Municipal sewage outflow
65% of the total nitrogen carried in the river.

The excess of nutrients spur plankton blooms in the Gulf, nourishing bacteria that then deplete the dissolved oxygen in bottom waters.

Phytoplankton microscopic photosynthetic algae, protists, and cyanobacteria that drift near the surface.

Zooplankton tiny animals that consume them.

More dead phytoplankton and waste products of phytoplankton and zooplankton drift to the bottom, providing food for bacteria that decompose them. THE RESULT IS A POPULATION EXPLOSION OF BACTERIA.

Systems involve feedback loops

System a network of relationships among components that interact with and influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information.
Feedback loop a circular process, a systems output can serve as input to that same system.

System

? a network of relationships among components that interact with and influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information.

Feedback loop

? a circular process, a systems output can serve as input to that same system.

Negative Feedback

? input and output essentially neutralize one another?s effects, stabilizing the system.

Positive Feedback loops

? they drive it further toward an extreme.

System a network of relationships among components that interact with and influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information.

Process these inputs (energy, matter and info) and produce outputs.

Environmental systems interact

The lithosphere contains the rock and sediments beneath our feet, in the planets uppermost...
The atmosphere composed of the air surrounding our planet.
The hydrosphere encompasses all water, salt or fresh, liquid, ice or vapor, in surface...
The biosphere consists of all the planets living organisms and the abiotic (nonliving)...
Eutrophication process of nutrient over enrichment blooms of algae, increased production of...

Feedback loop a circular process, a systems output can serve as input to that same system.

Negative Feedback input and output essentially neutralize one another?s effects, stabilizing the system.
Most systems in nature involve negative feedback loops.
Positive Feedback loops they drive it further toward an extreme. This can occur with the process of erosion, the removal of soil by water or wind.

Negative Feedback input and output essentially neutralize one another?s effects, stabilizing the system.

Example: Thermostat ( stabilizes a rooms temperature)
Regulates our body temperature

Positive Feedback loops they drive it further toward an extreme. This can occur with the process of erosion, the removal of soil by water or wind.

Can alter a system substantially. Rare in nature, but common in systems altered by human impact.

The lithosphere

? contains the rock and sediments beneath our feet, in the planets uppermost layers.

The atmosphere

? composed of the air surrounding our planet.

The hydrosphere

? encompasses all water, salt or fresh, liquid, ice or vapor, in surface bodies, underground, and in the atmosphere.

The biosphere

? consists of all the planets living organisms and the abiotic (nonliving) portions of the environment with which they interact with.

Eutrophication

? process of nutrient over enrichment blooms of algae, increased production of organic matter, and subsequent ecosystem degradation.

Chemistry and the Environment

Chemistry is crucial to understanding how gases such as Carbon Dioxide and Methane contribute to global climate change, how pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide cause acid precipitation, and how pesticides and other artificial compounds we release into the environment affect the health of wildlife and people.

Matter

? all material in the universe that has mass and occupies space.

Element

? is a fundamental type of matter, a chemical substance with a given set of properties, which cannot be broken down into substances with other properties.

Atoms and elements are chemical building blocks

Matter all material in the universe that has mass and occupies space.
Element is a fundamental type of matter, a chemical substance with a given set of properties, which cannot be broken down into substances with other properties.
Atoms the smallest components that maintain the chemical properties of the element.
Ions atoms may also gain or lose electrons to become ions, electrically charge atoms or combinations of atoms.

Atoms

? the smallest components that maintain the chemical properties of the element.

Atomic Number

? the number of protons an atom has.

Matter all material in the universe that has mass and occupies space.

It may be transformed from one type of substance into other, BUT it CANNOT be created or destroyed Law of conservation of matter

Atoms bond to form molecules and compounds.

Molecules combinations of two or more atoms.
Compound a molecules composed of atoms of two or more different elements.
Solutions homogenous mixtures of substances, most often applied to liquids.
Air in the atmosphere is a solution formed of constituents such as nitrogen, oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, methane (CH4) and ozone (O3).

Electrons

? surround the nucleus of the atom, negatively charged; balance the positive charge of the protons.

Element is a fundamental type of matter, a chemical substance with a given set of properties, which cannot be broken down into substances with other properties.

92 elements occurring in nature, 20 others artificially created.
Elements especially abundant in living organisms include hydrogen and oxygen EXCEPT for carbon and nitrogen.

Atoms the smallest components that maintain the chemical properties of the element.

Has a nucleus of protons (positively charged) and neutrons ( particles lacking electric charge)
Atomic Number the number of protons an atom has.
Electrons surround the nucleus of the atom, negatively charged; balance the positive charge of the protons.
Isotopes Atoms with differing numbers of neutrons.

Isotopes

? Atoms with differing numbers of neutrons.

Isotopes Atoms with differing numbers of neutrons.

Detonated by their elemental symbol preceded by the mass number or combined number of protons and neutrons in the atom.
Radioactive and ?decay?, changing their chemical identity as they shed subatomic particles and emit high energy radiation.

Radioactive and ?decay?, changing their chemical identity as they shed subatomic particles and emit high energy radiation.

Radioisotopes decay into lighter and lighter radioisotopes, until they become stable isotopes, isotopes that are not radioactive.

Ions

? atoms may also gain or lose electrons to become ions, electrically charge atoms or combinations of atoms.

Hydrogen ions determine acidity.

Acidic solutions in which the H+ concentration is greater than the OH- concentration.
Basic solutions in which the OH- concentration is greater than the H+ concentration.
pH of 7 is neutral.
Pure water has a pH of 7
Example: A substance with pH of 6 contains 10 times as many hydrogen ions as a substance with pH of 7.

Compound a molecules composed of atoms of two or more different elements.

Example: Water (composed of 2 hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom).

Molecules

? combinations of two or more atoms.

Example: Water (composed of 2 hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom).

Carbon Dioxide: consisting of one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms.

Compound

? a molecules composed of atoms of two or more different elements.

Solutions

? homogenous mixtures of substances, most often applied to liquids.

Carbon Dioxide

consisting of one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms

Acidic solutions in which the H+ concentration is greater than the OH- concentration.

Solutions with pH less than 7

Matter is composed of organic and inorganic compounds.

Hydrocarbons consist solely of atoms of carbon and hydrogen.

Basic solutions in which the OH- concentration is greater than the H+ concentration.

Solutions with pH greater than 7

Acidic

? solutions in which the H+ concentration is greater than the OH- concentration.

Basic

? solutions in which the OH- concentration is greater than the H+ concentration.

Hydrocarbons consist solely of atoms of carbon and hydrogen.

They make up the fossil fuels we combust for so many of our energy needs.
The simplest hydrocarbon is methane, the key component of natural gas.

Macromolecules are building blocks of life.

Polymers long chains of repeated molecules, play key roles as building blocks of life.
Carbohydrates include simple sugars that are 3 to 7 carbon atoms long.

Hydrocarbons

? consist solely of atoms of carbon and hydrogen.

Example

A substance with pH of 6 contains 10 times as many hydrogen ions as a substance with pH of 7

Polymers

? long chains of repeated molecules, play key roles as building blocks of life.

Polymers long chains of repeated molecules, play key roles as building blocks of life.

Proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates.
Lipids are NOT polymers but are also important.
ALL REFERED TO AS MACROMOLECULES BECAUSE OF THEIR LARGE SIZE.
Proteins made up of long chains of organic molecules called amino acids.

Organisms use cells to compartmentalize macromolecules.

Cells all living things are composed of cells, the most basic unit of organismal organization.

Carbohydrates include simple sugars that are 3 to 7 carbon atoms long.

Glucose fuels living cells and serves as a building block for complex carbohydrates (starch).
Lipids chemical diverse group of compounds, do not dissolve in water.

Proteins made up of long chains of organic molecules called amino acids.

Organisms combine up to 20 types of amino acids into long...
Some help produce tissues and provide structural support.
Some help store energy, and others transport substances.
Act as hormones , molecules that serve as chemical messengers...
Some function in the immune system, defending the organism...
Serve as enzymes , molecules that catalyze, or promote, certain...
Nucleic acids direct the production of proteins.

Nucleic acids direct the production of proteins.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) & Ribonucleic acid (RNA) carry hereditary information for organism and are responsible for passing traits from parents to offspring.
Composed of series of nucleotides , each contains a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
DNA double helix, four types of nucleotides.

DNA double helix, four types of nucleotides.

Genes regions of DNA coding for particular proteins that perform particular functions.

Glucose fuels living cells and serves as a building block for complex carbohydrates (starch).

Plants use starch to store energy and animals eat plants to acquire starch.
Insects and crustaceans form hard shells from the carbohydrate chitin.
Cellulose the most abundant organic compound on Earth, a complex carbohydrate found in the cell walls of leaves, bark, stems and roots.

Lipids chemical diverse group of compounds, do not dissolve in water.

Fats and oils (energy storage)
Phospholipids (membranes)
Waxes (structure)
Steroids ( hormone production)

Proteins

? made up of long chains of organic molecules called amino acids.

Cells all living things are composed of cells, the most basic unit of organismal organization.

Single- celled bacteria to plants and animals that contain millions of cells.
Eukaryotes plants, animals, fungi and protists, contain a membrane- enclosed nucleus and various organelles that perform specific functions.
Prokaryotes bacteria and archaea, generally single- celled, cells lack organelles and a nucleus.

Nucleic acids

direct the production of proteins.

Deoxyribonucleic acid

(DNA) & Ribonucleic acid (RNA) ? carry hereditary information for organism and are responsible for passing traits from parents to offspring.

DNA

? double helix, four types of nucleotides.

Energy an intangible phenomenon that can change the position, physical composition, or temperature of matter.

Potential energy energy of position
Kinetic energy energy in motion
Energy transfers take place at the atomic level every time a chemical bond is broken or formed.
Chemical energy potential energy held in bonds between atoms.

Energy is always conserved, but it changes in quality.

First law of thermodynamics the total energy in the universe remains constant and thus is said to be conserved.
Second law of thermodynamics the nature of energy will change from a more ordered state to a less ordered state, if no force counteracts this tendency.

Genes

? regions of DNA coding for particular proteins that perform particular functions.

Carbohydrates

? include simple sugars that are 3 to 7 carbon atoms long.

Chemical energy potential energy held in bonds between atoms.

Examples

Glucose

? fuels living cells and serves as a building block for complex carbohydrates (starch).

Cellulose

? the most abundant organic compound on Earth, a complex carbohydrate found in the cell walls of leaves, bark, stems and roots.

Light energy from the sun powers most living systems

Autotrophs (producers) organisms that use the suns radiation directly to produce their own food.

Lipids

? chemical diverse group of compounds, do not dissolve in water.

Second law of thermodynamics the nature of energy will change from a more ordered state to a less ordered state, if no force counteracts this tendency.

Entropy systems tend to move toward increasing disorder.

Cells

? all living things are composed of cells, the most basic unit of organismal organization.

Autotrophs (producers) organisms that use the suns radiation directly to produce their own food.

Green plants, algae and bacteria called cyanobacteria
Turn light energy from the sun into chemical energy through the process called photosynthesis .

Cellular respiration releases chemical energy.

Organisms make use of the chemical energy created by photosynthesis in a process called cellular respiration.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (sugar)

Eukaryotes

? plants, animals, fungi and protists, contain a membrane- enclosed nucleus and various organelles that perform specific functions.

Turn light energy from the sun into chemical energy through the process called photosynthesis .

Sunlight powers a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars, transforming low quality energy from the sun into high quality energy the organism can use.
Occurs within cell organelles Chloroplasts

Occurs within cell organelles Chloroplasts

Chlorophyll makes plans green, uses solar energy to initiate a series of chemical reactions called light reactions.

Water molecules split and react to form hydrogen ions and molecular oxygen, creating the oxygen that we breathe.
Produce small, high energy molecules that are used to fuel reactions in the Calvin cycle.

Produce small, high energy molecules that are used to fuel reactions in the Calvin cycle.

Carbon atoms from carbon dioxide are linked together to manufacture sugars.
6CO2 + 6H20 + THE SUN?S ENERGY C2H12O6 + 6O2
As a byproduct, they release the oxygen that we breathe.

Prokaryotes

? bacteria and archaea, generally single- celled, cells lack organelles and a nucleus.

Energy

? an intangible phenomenon that can change the position, physical composition, or temperature of matter.

Potential energy

? energy of position

Ecosystems

Ecosystem Consists of all organism and nonliving entities that occur and interact in a particular area.

Kinetic energy

? energy in motion

C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (sugar)

The energy gained per glucose molecule in respiration is only two-thirds of the energy input per glucose molecule in photosynthesis. (2 nd law of thermodynamics)
Heterotrophs (consumers) organisms that gain their energy by feeding on other organisms.

Heterotrophs (consumers) organisms that gain their energy by feeding on other organisms.

Include most animals, fungi and microbes that decompose organic matter.

Chemical energy

? potential energy held in bonds between atoms.

Energy flows and matter cycles through ecosystems.

Ecosystems are systems that receive inputs of energy, process and transform that energy while cycling matter internally, and produce a variety of outputs (heat, water flow and animal waste products) that can feed into other ecosystems.

First law of thermodynamics

? the total energy in the universe remains constant and thus is said to be conserved.

Second law of thermodynamics

? the nature of energy will change from a more ordered state to a less ordered state, if no force counteracts this tendency.

Entropy

? systems tend to move toward increasing disorder.

Autotrophs (producers)

? organisms that use the suns radiation directly to produce their own food.

Ecosystems are systems that receive inputs of energy, process and transform that energy while cycling matter internally, and produce a variety of outputs (heat, water flow and animal waste products) that can feed into other ecosystems.

Energy flows in one direction through ecosystems, most arrives as radiation from the sun, powers the system, and exits in the form of heat.
Matter is generally recycled within ecosystems because when organism die and decay, their nutrients remain in the system.
Most energy that organism take in is later lost through respiration.

Energy is converted to biomass

Primary production autotrophs convert solar energy to the energy of chemical bonds in sugars during photosynthesis.
Gross primary production assimilation of energy by autotrophs.
Net primary production energy that remains after respiration is used to generate biomass.

Chlorophyll

? makes plans green, uses solar energy to initiate a series of chemical reactions called light reactions.

Nutrients can limit productivity

Nutrients elements and compounds that organisms consume and require for survival.

Net primary production energy that remains after respiration is used to generate biomass.

Net primary production = gross primary production ? respiration.
Can be measured but the energy or the organic matter stored by plants or other autotrophs after they have metabolized enough for their own maintenance.
High net primary production ecosystems whose producers convert solar energy to biomass rapidly.

6CO2 + 6H20 + THE SUN?S ENERGY

? C2H12O6 + 6O2

High net primary production ecosystems whose producers convert solar energy to biomass rapidly.

Examples freshwater wetlands, tropical forests, coral reefs and algal beds. (highest)
Deserts, tundra, open ocean (lowest).
In terrestrial ecosystems, net primary productivity tends to increase with temperature and precipitation.
In aquatic ecosystems, net primary productivity tends to rise with light and the availability of nutrients.

C6H12O6 + 6O2

? 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (sugar)

Nutrients elements and compounds that organisms consume and require for survival.

Organisms need: nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.

Landscape ecologists study geographic patterns.

Areas where ecosystems meet may consist of transitional zones called ecotones, in which elements of each ecosystem mix.
Landscape ecology Study how landscape structure affects the abundance, distribution and interaction of organisms.
Conservation biologist?s scientist who study the loss, protection and restoration of biodiversity.

Heterotrophs (consumers)

? organisms that gain their energy by feeding on other organisms.

Organisms need: nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.

Phosphorous tends to be limiting in freshwater systems and nitrogen in marine systems.
Dead zones, most off coasts of Europe and the eastern United States.

Ecosystem

? Consists of all organism and nonliving entities that occur and interact in a particular area.

Biochemical Cycles

Energy enters an ecosystem from the sun, flows from one organism to another, and is dissipated to the atmosphere as heat; the physical matter of an ecosystem is circulated over and over again.

Landscape ecology Study how landscape structure affects the abundance, distribution and interaction of organisms.

A landscape is made up of patches (of ecosystems, communities, or habitat) arrayed spatially in a mosaic.

Conservation biologist?s scientist who study the loss, protection and restoration of biodiversity.

Establishing corridors of habitat to link patches is one approach that conservation biologist pursue as they attempt to maintain biodiversity in the face of human impact.
Geographic information systems (GIS) computer software that takes multiple types of data and layers them together on a common set of geographic coordinates.

Geographic information systems (GIS) computer software that takes multiple types of data and layers them together on a common set of geographic coordinates.

Create a complete picture of a landscape and to analyze how elements of the data sets are arrayed spatially and how they may be ordered.

Primary production

? autotrophs convert solar energy to the energy of chemical bonds in sugars during photosynthesis.

Gross primary production

? assimilation of energy by autotrophs.

Net primary production

? energy that remains after respiration is used to generate biomass.

Nutrients circulate in biogeochemical cycles

Nutrient cycles/ biogeochemical cycles nutrients move through ecosystems in nutrient cycles.
Nutrients from one pool, or reservoir, to another, remaining for varying amounts of time (residence time) in each.
The movement of nutrients among pools is termed flux and the rates of flux between any given pair of pools can change over time.

High net primary production

? ecosystems whose producers convert solar energy to biomass rapidly.

Net primary production

gross primary production – respiration

The carbon cycle circulates a vital organic nutrient

The carbon cycle describes the routes that carbon atoms take through the environment.

Examples

freshwater wetlands, tropical forests, coral reefs and algal beds

Nutrients

? elements and compounds that organisms consume and require for survival.

Landscape ecology

? Study how landscape structure affects the abundance, distribution and interaction of organisms.

Organisms need

nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus

The carbon cycle describes the routes that carbon atoms take through the environment.

Sedimentary rock comprises the largest single reservoir in the carbon cycle.

Conservation biologist?s

? scientist who study the loss, protection and restoration of biodiversity.

Geographic information systems (GIS)

? computer software that takes multiple types of data and layers them together on a common set of geographic coordinates.

Nutrient cycles/ biogeochemical cycles

? nutrients move through ecosystems in nutrient cycles.

The carbon cycle

? describes the routes that carbon atoms take through the environment.

sci331 chap 3

Science Education 33131 with Vickers at University of Texas - El Paso

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