Vocab #15

Which term describes organisms (like bacteria and fungi) that break down dead organic matter and waste products, returning essential nutrients like carbon and nitrogen back to the ecosystem?

• Decomposer

• Producer

• Consumer

• Scavenger

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which term refers to the biogeochemical process by which nitrogen is converted into various forms as it circulates between the atmosphere, soil, organisms, and back into the atmosphere?

• Nitrogen cycle

• Carbon cycle

• Water cycle

• Phosphorus cycle

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the chemical process, carried out mainly by specialized bacteria, that converts atmospheric nitrogen gas (N₂) into usable forms, such as ammonia (NH₃), which can then be absorbed by plants?

• Nitrogen fixation

• Photosynthesis

• Respiration

• Transpiration

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is a natural or artificial reservoir (such as oceans, forests, or soil) that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, playing a crucial role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels?

• Carbon sink

• Greenhouse gas

• Fossil fuel

• Ozone layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

What is a linear sequence of organisms that illustrates the flow of energy and nutrients as one organism eats another?

• Food chain

• Habitat

• Ecosystem

• Population

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is a more realistic representation of consumption relationships in an ecosystem, consisting of many interconnected food chains that show the complex feeding pathways among different organisms?

• Food web

• Food chain

• Energy pyramid

• Trophic level

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which term describes the process that describes the movement of carbon atoms as they continually travel between the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms?

• Carbon Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle

• Water Cycle

• Photosynthesis

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Which biogeochemical cycle describes the movement of phosphorus through the hydrosphere, lithosphere (rocks), and biosphere?

• Phosphorous Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle

• Carbon Cycle

• Sulfur Cycle

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the total mass of living organisms in a given area or at a specific trophic level, often measured in terms of dry weight?

• Biomass

• Photosynthesis

• Population Density

• Food Chain

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-4

NGSS.HS-LS2-5

What is a graphical representation showing the amount of energy available at each trophic level of an ecosystem?

• Energy pyramid

• Food chain

• Biomass pyramid

• Ecological succession

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3