APES Unit 01 (Chapter 5)

Front

What is the carbon cycle?

Back

The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged among the atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms.

Front

What is photosynthesis?

Back

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll. Equation: 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2.

Front

What is cellular respiration?

Back

Cellular respiration is the process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water. Equation: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy.

Front

What is a carbon sink?

Back

A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon-containing chemical compounds for an indefinite period.

Front

What is the nitrogen cycle?

Back

The nitrogen cycle is the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms.

Front

What is nitrogen fixation?

Back

Nitrogen fixation is the process of converting nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into ammonia or related compounds in soil.

Front

What is assimilation in the nitrogen cycle?

Back

Assimilation is the process by which plants and animals incorporate the nitrogen from the nitrogen compounds they consume.

Front

What are nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

Back

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are microorganisms that can transform atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can absorb and use.

Front

What is the phosphorus cycle?

Back

The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Front

What is the hydrologic (water) cycle?

Back

The hydrologic cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.