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biogeochemical---The chemical interactions that exist between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and
biosphere.
Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
Water Cycle (Hydrologic Cycle)--term
water cycle
definition or information
 Water runoff on the surface can
carry pesticides, fertilizers,
insecticides, and other
pollutants.
 Glaciers and icebergs contain
freshwater.
precipitation
 water in the form of rain, snow,
sleet, hail
 about 91% of precipitation falls
into the ocean
 falls on land which renews the
supply of fresh water
 the sun’s heat causes water to
change from a liquid to a vapor
which enters the atmosphere
evaporation
condensation  water vapor cools process of
changing from a gas or vapor to
a liquid
ground
water
 precipitation seeps into the
ground where it is stored in
underground caverns or in
porous rock
 may stay in the ground for
hundreds or even thousands of
years
 provides water to the soil,
streams, rivers, and oceans
transpiration
 process by which plants return
water to the atmosphere
 loss of water from plant leaves
through openings called stomata
(Desert plants close the stomata
during the day.)
 helps plants stay cool
diagram or picture
Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
Carbon Cycle (carbon-oxygen cycle)---
decomposition



combustion
breakdown of dead materials
into carbon dioxide and water
decomposers such as fungi
and bacteria break down dead
organisms and recycle the
nutrients
decaying trees contribute to
the health of an ecosystem
 process of burning fossil
fuels
 coal, oil, and natural gas
return to atmosphere as CO2
when burned
 provides much of the fuel
people need to drive cars,
heat homes, make electricity
 acid rain
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Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
photosynthesis
Cellular
respiration
 plants use carbon dioxide
from the air to make sugars
and release oxygen
 Most animals get the carbon
they need by eating plants.
 chemical reaction where
light is converted into
chemical energy
 Plants do not require other
organisms for energy.
 The source of the carbon
in glucose is the carbon
dioxide in the air.
 Plants make glucose to use
for energy or to store as
starch for later use.
 A plant uses glucose to
make cellulose when it links
many simple units of
glucose together.
 Photosynthetic organisms
such as plants use light
energy to produce a
carbohydrate (glucose).
 process in which the energy
in sunlight is stored in the
bonds of glucose for later
use
 made in chloroplasts of
plants
 exchange of gases between
living cells and their
environment
 Animals and plants both
respire (breathe)
 During respiration, sugar
molecules are broken down
to release energy.
 how cells get their energy
 Carbon dioxide and water
are released as byproducts.
 the reactions within cells
which result in the synthesis
of ATP using energy stored
in glucose
 made in mitochondria of
cells
6CO2 + 6H2O + energy C6H12O6 + 6O2
(sunlight)
C6H12O6 + 6O2  6CO2 + 6H2O + energy
(ATP)
Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
Nitrogen Cycle--nitrogen cycle
nitrogen
fixation
nitrification
 movement of nitrogen
between the atmosphere to
the plants and animals
 about 78% of atmosphere
 needed for proteins and
DNA
 Proteins are required for the
life processes that take place
in the cells of all organisms.
 animals get the nitrogen
they need by eating plants or
animals
 important to add nitrogen to
the soil since farming
depletes the usable nitrogen
in the soil
 Farmers replace nitrogen in
the soil by growing
nitrogen-fixing crops or
using fertilizers that contain
nitrogen compounds that
plants need for growth.
(soybeans)
 Volcanoes release some
nitrogen
 bacteria “fix” nitrogen for
plants
 bacteria break down dead
organisms and their wastes
which makes nitrogen gas
(N2)
 bacteria turn nitrogen into
ammonia (NH3) and then
use it to make substances
such as protein
 Plants absorb these nitrogen
compounds through their
roots.
 Bacteria convert
atmospheric nitrogen to
ammonia in the soil.
 Bacteria are essential for the
nitrogen cycle to work.
process by which ammonia
is converted to nitrites
(NO2) and then nitrates
(NO3)
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Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
denitrification
 takes nitrogen from the
wastes of organisms and
changes it back into nitrogen
gas that is returned to the
atmosphere
 Denitrifying bacteria live
deep in the soil and on the
ocean floor, where there is
no oxygen.
 Bacteria use nitrate
compounds to get oxygen
for cellular respiration, and
they produce nitrogen gas as
a waste.
Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming-greenhouse
effect
 trapping heat by certain gasses in the
atmosphere
 holding heat near Earth (acts like a
greenhouse)
 natural effect of Earth’s atmosphere
 makes Earth warm enough to
support life
greenhouse
gases
 N2O--- fertilizers release nitrous
oxide into the environment;
factories; burn fossil fuels
 CH4---dig for or transport fossil
fuels; cattle and other livestock
release methane as they digest food;
released by landfills as organic
matter decays
 CO2---combustion of fossil fuels
 Worldwide increase in average
temperatures
 some gases in atmosphere absorb
reflected heat which some scientists
think increase average temperatures
 Possible Effects--- melting of polar ice caps, sea
ice, glaciers
 increase ocean levels
 may alter areas of fertile land
into deserts
 threaten wildlife, habitats,
crops and entire ecosystems
Theory of
Global
Warming or
Climate
Change
 water vapor (H2O)
 carbon dioxide (CO2)
 methane (CH4)
 nitrous oxide (N2O)
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Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
pollution
deforestation
ozone layer
 release of harmful substances
into the air, soil, and water
 in higher than normal amounts,
greenhouse gases can become
pollutants
 removal of large numbers of trees and
other plants from an area
 Deforestation disrupts the natural
cycling of carbon and oxygen through
the environment.
 It may cause the extinction of species
and often leaves the soil infertile or
soil erosion.
combustion, solid wastes,
hazardous chemicals, fertilizers,
radioactive materials, noise, heat
 region located in the stratosphere
several miles above the surface of
the Earth
 ozone (O3)
 plays a vital role by shielding
humans and other life from harmful
UV rays from the Sun (skin cancer)
 scientists suggest that the depletion
of the ozone layer is due to the
increase in combustion and the use
of chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol
cans
 Higher ozone levels near the ground
can damage crops and plants.
Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources--renewable
resource
can be replaced at a rate similar to the
rate at which it is used
nonrenewable
resource
resource that is used or consumed
much faster than it is formed
air/wind (windmills)
sunlight (solar panels)
fertile soil
water (hydroelectric)
living things (trees, crops, livestock)
biomass
coal
oil; gasoline (petroleum)
natural gas
metals
minerals
atomic or nuclear
Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
conservation
 sustainability---use of resources in
ways that both meet human needs
now and will allow them to be met
in the future
 protects the environment for future
generations
 practiced with many resources, such
as land, forests, fish, air, and
freshwater (examples--building
energy-efficient cars and homes,
limiting fishing, and reusing
materials )
Developing Natural Products--natural
product
 useful substance produced by an
organism (plants, fungi, bacteria,
and animals)
 Aspirin and penicillin
 Vitamin C ---nutritional
supplement; ascorbic acid in citrus
prevents spoilage of other fruit—
slow oxidation
 to keep foods from spoiling
 to make crops more nourishing
 use algae or used vegetable oil for
fuel for automobiles (biofuel)
 use bamboo instead of trees for
flooring since they grow quickly
----------------------------------------- Willow Tree
o Greeks/Romans---bark and
leaves were used to relieve pain
and treat fevers
o Native Americans---used willow
to treat sickness and pain
 In the 1800s, a German chemist
isolated the useful substance in
willow bark and identified it as
salicylic acid. Later chemists made
an improved form, acetylsalicylic
acid, which is easier on the
stomach. Today, this substance is
known as aspirin.
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 reduce---use less water (shorter showers, wash
only full loads of dishes or laundry); reduce
electrical power by turning off lights/appliances
when not using them
 reuse---reusing products instead of discarding
and replacing them; avoid excess packaging
 recycle---process to make a new product; paper,
aluminum, plastic
Term 2---Cycles in Nature Notes
antibiotics
medicines used to kill bacteria
Penicillin, the first antibiotic, was
discovered in 1928 by Alexander
Fleming. Fleming observed that
mold growing on a culture dish
prevented bacteria from growing in
the dish.
synthetic
 made by people
Chemists can use these elements in
the same combinations to make the
substance in the lab.
Advantages to make natural
products in the lab--control the strength, or potency, of
the substance
make the substance in large amounts
make the substance faster than it is
produced in nature
make the substance without harming
living organisms
Natural Product
Botox neurotoxin
Epibatidine
Curacin A
Quinine
Taxol
angiotensin-converting
enzyme (ACE)
Natural Products and Their Uses
Source
Use
Bacterium
prevents muscle spasms; used in cosmetic
(Clostridium boltulinum)
procedures to remove wrinkles; use to treat
spasticity and excess sweating
skin of the Ecuadorian
pain killer (analgesic)
poison frog
Cyanobacteria
drug used in cancer treatment
bark of cinchona tree
used to treat malaria
Pacific yew tree
used to treat breast cancer
protein found in the venom used to treat high blood pressure
of the Brazilian viper
Research and Development for natural products in Mississippi--1. Thad Cochran National Center for Natural Products Research at the Univ. of MS--- developing natural
products for use in agriculture; ways to control pests; improve the nutritional value of crops
2. Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center in Stoneville, MS----studying agricultural problems of
southern U.S.; genetics and basic physiology; control of principal crops enemies; production systems and
techniques; equipment innovation and development; safety and human health; economic well-being of both
the agricultural producer and the consumer; and technology of pesticide application
3. Mississippi Polymer Institute at USM---natural polymers are in living animals and plants; cellulose is the
basis for cotton and rayon fibers; the selection, formulation and compounding of new materials; application
and testing of developmental products; the design, synthesis and manufacture of new polymeric materials
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