Q: All organic molecules contain what element?
A: carbon
Q: Why do living things need nitrogen?
A: They need nitrogen to build new cells and
proteins.
Q: What kind of succession begins in a place with
only rocks?
A: Primary succession
Q: True or False? Grass is the plant that will most
likely grow first in secondary succession.
Q: True
Q: What is an example of a climax species of trees
that might grow in Ohio?
A: Beech and maple trees
Q: What is it called when bacteria in the soil change
nitrogen gas into forms of nitrogen that plants can
use?
A: nitrogen fixation
Q: What kinds of plants often have nitrogen fixing
bacteria living in nodules on the roots?
A: Legumes (peas, beans, clover, etc.)
Q: What is photosynthesis?
A: The process in which green plants use carbon
dioxide, water, and sunlight to make glucose.
Q: What is the main purpose of cellular respiration?
A: To release energy (ATP) stored in food.
Q: What organisms depend upon cellular
respiration?
A: plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, etc.
Q: What is groundwater?
A: precipitation that is stored in the ground.
Q: What is succession?
A: The growing of a community over a long period
of time.
Q: What kind of succession often happens after a
natural disaster like a forest fire?
A: Secondary succession
Q: What kind of succession happens after a new
ground has been uncovered, like after a glacier has
receded?
A: Primary succession
Q: Define biodiversity
A: The variety of plants and animals that live in an
area
Q: Define runoff
A: Precipitation that runs from land to rivers and
lakes
Q: What are the first living things to grow in an area
called?
A: pioneer species
Q: In the carbon cycle, sugar molecules are broken
down to release energy (ATP) during _________.
A: cellular respiration
Q: What are the byproducts of cellular respiration?
A: Carbon dioxide and water
Q: Carbon dioxide from the air is used to make
sugars during __________________.
A: photosynthesis
Q: What is a byproduct of photosynthesis?
A: oxygen
Q: Where does most of the Earth’s precipitation
fall?
A: into the oceans
Q: Define condensation.
A: the change of water from a vapor to a liquid
Q: Define precipitation.
A: water falling from the atmosphere to land and
oceans
Q: What are some examples of precipitation?
A: rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc.
Q: Define evaporation
A: the change of water from liquid to vapor
Q: True or False? As you go higher into the sky it
gets colder.
A: This is true at least for the fist layer of the
atmosphere that is close to the ground.
Q: How do most animals get the carbon they need?
A: By eating plants or by eating animals that eat
plants.
Q: Bacteria break down organic matter and return
carbon dioxide and water to the environment. This
is an example of ____________________.
A: decomposition
Q: Why do organisms need nitrogen?
A: to build proteins and DNA
Q: Where do most animals get their nitrogen?
A: from eating other organisms.
Q: What is a climax species?
A: A well-adapted species in a mature community
Q: What effect does biodiversity have on a
community?
A: It enables the community to withstand changes.
Q: Can lightning fix nitrogen?
A: Yes.
Q: Name three carbon “sinks” or places where
carbon is stored.
A: Carbon is stored in:
1. plant tissues
2. animal tissues
3. the atmosphere
4. soil
5. rocks
6. fossil fuels
Q: Name three fossil fuels
A: oil, coal, gas, petroleum, natural gas
Q: How is the carbon stored in coal, oil, and natural
gas returned to the atmosphere?
A: combustion (burning)
Q: Scientists are concerned about too much carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. Why?
A: it may be a cause of global warming / climate
change
Q: Can human activity have an impact on cycles?
A: Yes
Q: What substance must be chemically transformed
or changed before it can be used by plants, oxygen,
carbon, or nitrogen?
A: nitrogen
Q: What are lichens?
A: a symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi
Q: How is Earth’s supply of fresh water renewed?
A: evaporation, condensation, and then precipitation
Q: Name three ways water is important to life.
A: transport of nutrients, transport of waste, and
regulation of temperature
Q: Moisture that forms on the outside of a glass of
iced tea on a hot day is an example of _________.
A: condensation