Natural Sciences: Biodiversity Quiz

What is the biosphere?

Answer explanation

The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions with the environment, including land, water, and the atmosphere.

What are the two words making up the word “biosphere” and what do they mean?

Answer explanation

The word 'biosphere' is made up of 'bio' meaning 'life' and 'sphere' meaning 'ball' or 'globe'. Together, they refer to the global sum of all ecosystems, representing the zone of life on Earth.

Discuss how the biosphere relates to the ecosystem.

Answer explanation

The biosphere encompasses all ecosystems on Earth, representing the global sum of all living organisms and their interactions with the environment. Ecosystems are specific communities within the biosphere, highlighting localized interactions.

Identify all matter that is part of the biosphere.

Answer explanation

The biosphere includes all living organisms and their environments, encompassing land, water, and the atmosphere. It consists of plants, animals, microorganisms, and the ecosystems they form.

List and explain the three components of the biosphere.

Answer explanation

The biosphere consists of three components: the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and lithosphere (land). These components interact to support life, providing essential resources like oxygen, water, and nutrients.

What is the atmosphere?

Answer explanation

The atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding a planet, held in place by gravity. It is essential for life, providing oxygen, regulating temperature, and protecting from harmful solar radiation.

What are the gases that the atmosphere is made of?

Answer explanation

The atmosphere is primarily composed of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and trace amounts of other gases like argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. These gases are essential for life and weather processes.

What is the importance of the atmosphere?

Answer explanation

The atmosphere is crucial for life on Earth as it provides oxygen for breathing, protects from harmful solar radiation, and regulates temperature, making it essential for sustaining ecosystems and weather patterns.

Discuss why it is important for the temperatures on Earth to be regulated.

Answer explanation

Regulating Earth's temperatures is crucial for maintaining ecosystems, weather patterns, and human health. Extreme temperature fluctuations can lead to habitat loss, food shortages, and increased natural disasters, threatening life on the planet.

Where does the atmosphere start?

Answer explanation

The atmosphere starts at the Earth's surface and extends outward to about 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) into space, with its various layers, including the troposphere, stratosphere, and beyond.