Principles of Ecology: Matter, Energy, and Life

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Principles of EcologyMatter, Energy, and Life

• Chapter 2

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Outline

• Principles of Matter and Energy
• Building Blocks of Life
• Chemical Bonds
• Acids and Bases
• Water
• Photosynthesis
• Food Webs
• Ecological Pyramids
• Biogeochemical Cycles

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PRINCIPLES OF MATTER AND ENERGY

• Matter - Has mass and takes up space.
• Three phases
• Solid
• Liquid
• Gas
• Law of Conservation of Matter
• Under normal conditions, matter cannot be created
  or destroyed.
• There is no away.

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Energy

• Energy - The capacity to do work.
• Kinetic Energy
• Energy contained in moving objects.
• Potential Energy
• Stored, latent energy available for use.
• Heat - Energy that can be transferred between
  objects of different temperature.
• Specific Heat - Amount of heat required to warm
  one gram one degree C.

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Thermodynamics

• First Law - Energy is conserved.
• Under normal conditions, it is neither created
  nor destroyed, but can be transferred or
  transformed.
• Second Law - With each successive energy
  transfer or transformation, less energy is
  available to do work.
• Entropy (disorder) increases.

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BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE

• Atom - Smallest particle that exhibits the
  characteristics of an element.
• Protons Mass of 1 amu and Positively charged.
• Electrons No Mass and Negatively charged.
• Neutrons - Mass of 1 amu and Neutrally charged.
• Ions - Charged atoms.
• Cations - positive charge.
• Anion - negative charge.
• Cathy will and Annie will not

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Periodic Chart of the Elements
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Carbon-12 Atom
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Building Blocks of Life

• Isotope - Atoms of a single element that differ
  in atomic mass.
• Radioactive isotopes spontaneously decay or shed
  subatomic particles.
• Half Life
• Neutrons
• Alpha, Beta, Gamma particles
• Positrons

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Important Elements in Environmental Science
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Building Blocks of Life

• Molecule
• Group of atoms that can exist as an individual
  unit and that has unique properties.
• Compound
• A molecule containing different kinds of atoms.

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Major Classes of Organic Compounds
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Common Molecules
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Chemical Bonding

• Ionic Bond - Formed when one atom gives up an
  electron to another atom.
• Covalent Bond - Formed when two or more atoms
  share electrons.
• Energy is needed to break chemical bonds.
• Energy is released when bonds are formed.

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Chemical Reactions

• Reactions start with reactants and produce
  products.
• Oxidation - A molecule or atom loses an electron.
• Reduction - A molecule or atom gains an electron.

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Photosynthesis and Respiration

• Photosynthesis
• 6H2O 6CO2 sun ? C6H12O6 (sugar) 6O2
• REACTANTS ENZYMES ENERGY---gt PRODUCTS
• Cellular Respiration
• C6H12O66O2 ? 6H2O 6CO2 energy
• REACTANTS ENZYMES ---gt PRODUCTS ENERGY ATP

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Metabolic Pathways

• ATP is earned in reactions that yield energy, and
  spent in reactions that require it

large energy-rich molecules
ADP Pi
Anabolic Pathways
Catabolic Pathways
simple organic compounds
ATP
energy-poor products
Energy input
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Acids and Bases

• Acids are compounds that readily release hydrogen
  ions (H) in water.
• Bases are substances that readily take up
  hydrogen ions (H) and release hydroxide ions
  (OH-) in solution.
• Strength measured by concentration of H.
• pH scale
• 0-14

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pH Scale Hydrogen Ion Concentration
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Qualities of Water

• Weight of living organisms 60-70 water.
• Universal solvent
• Dissolved salt solutions conduct electricity.
• Cohesive, producing capillary action.
• Exist as liquid over a wide temperature range.
• Expands when crystallizes.
• High heat of vaporization.
• High specific heat.

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CARBOHYDRATES

• Carbohydrates are made of Carbon, Hydrogen and
  Oxygen in a 121 ratio
• CH2O hydrated carbon
• 3 different forms
• Monosaccharides Glucose, Fructose, Galactose
• Disaccharides Maltose, Sucrose, Lactose
• Polysaccharides Starch, Glycogen and cellulose
• All forms contain caloric energy stored energy or
  immediate energy especially glucose

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Fig. 2.6
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Organic Compounds and Cells

• Organic compounds are molecules, often large and
  complex, built of Carbon and Hydrogen atoms.
  Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur are also
  added.

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CARBOHYDRATES

• Carbohydrates are made of Carbon, Hydrogen and
  Oxygen in a 121 ratio
• CH2O hydrated carbon
• 3 different forms
• Monosaccharides Glucose, Fructose, Galactose
• Disaccharides Maltose, Sucrose, Lactose
• Polysaccharides Starch, Glycogen and cellulose
• All forms contain caloric energy stored energy or
  immediate energy especially glucose

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Lipids

• Most include fatty acids
• Fats
• Oils
• Phospholipids
• Waxes
• Sterols and their derivatives have no fatty acids
• Tend to be insoluble in water
• Lipids are molecules made of CHO but in a
  different ration C18H38O2 These molecules
  contain a very large amount of energy and are
  very hydrophobic. Lipids contain more than twice
  the amount of calories per gram than
  carbohydrates or proteins

Fatty acid
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Fatty Acids that make up Triglycerides
Omega 3 Fatty acid
stearic acid
oleic acid
linolenic acid
monunsaturated
polyunsaturated
Saturated fat
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Steroids are also Lipids
Women are from Venus
Men are From Mars
TESTOSTERONE
AN ESTROGEN
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Proteins

• Proteins are polymers of amino acids. Amino
  acids are made of CHONS in varying proportions
  usually about 12 Nitrogen.
• There are 20 naturally occuring amino acids in
  nature. Think of amino acids as letters of the
  alphabet making words and paragraphs. A protein
  is characterized by the sequence and kinds of
  amino acids (spelling?)

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Different Kinds of Protein

• Structural Proteins Collagen, Keratin
• Hormones insulin
• Hemoglobin Respiratory Pigment complexed with
  Iron
• Antibodies Gamma Globulin
• Integrated Proteins in the cell membrane for
  transport, recognition, receptor sites, adhesions
  to other cells
• Enzymes Catalytic proteins

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Enzymes are catalytic proteins that facilitate
chemical reactions in cells.Metabolism refers
to the multitude of enzymatic reactions performed
by an organism.
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Sunlight

• Solar energy that reaches the earths surface is
  in, or near, the visible light wavelengths.
• Drive photosynthesis.
• More than half of the incoming sunlight may be
  reflected or absorbed by atmospheric clouds,
  dust, or gases.
• Short wavelengths are filtered out by gases in
  the upper atmosphere.

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SUNLIGHT

• Sun is a fiery ball of exploding hydrogen gas.
• Radiant energy classified by wavelengths.
• Intense energy has short wavelengths.
• Lower energy has longer wavelengths,

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Fig. 2.14
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Energy Exchange
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Energy and Matter in the Environment

• Species - All organisms genetically similar
  enough to breed and produce live, fertile
  offspring in nature.
• Population - All members of a species that live
  in the same area at the same time.
• Biological Community - All populations living and
  interacting in an area.
• Ecosystem - A biological community and its
  physical environment.
• Open vs. Closed

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Food Webs and Trophic Levels

• Productivity refers to the amount of biomass
  produced in a given are during a given time.
• Primary Producers - Photosynthesize.
• Consumers - Eat other organisms.
• Food Webs are series of interconnected food
  chains in an ecosystem.
• Trophic Level refers to an individuals feeding
  position in an ecosystem.

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Ecological Food Chain
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Trophic Levels

• Organisms can also be identified by the kinds of
  food they consume
• Herbivores - eat plants.
• Carnivores - eat animals.
• Omnivores - eat plants and animals.
• Detritivores - eat detritus.
• Decomposers - breakdown complex organic matter
  into simpler compounds.

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Trophic Levels
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Ecological Pyramids

• Most ecosystems have huge number of primary
  producers supporting a smaller number of
  herbivores, supporting a smaller number of
  secondary consumers.
• Second law of thermodynamics.
• Ecosystems not 100 efficient.
• 10 Rule

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Ecological Pyramids
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BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

• Hydrological Cycle
• Most of earths water is stored in the oceans,
  but solar energy continually evaporates this
  water, and winds distribute water vapor around
  the globe.

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Hydrologic Cycle
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Carbon Cycle

• Carbon serves a dual purpose for organisms
• Structural component of organic molecules.
• Chemical bonds provide metabolic energy.

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Carbon Cycle
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Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen makes up about 78 of the air, but
  plants cannot use N2, the stable diatomic
  molecule in air.
• Plants acquire nitrogen through nitrogen cycle.
• Nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

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Plant Food

• NPK
• N Nitrates NO3, Nitrites NO2, NH3 Ammonia.
  Fertilizers
• P Phosphate Fertilizers, and Pesticides
• K Potassium, and other minerals

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Nitrogen Cycle
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Phosphorus Cycle

• Abundant phosphorus stimulates plant and algal
  productivity.
• Detergents, Fertilizers and organophosphates

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Phosphorus Cycle

• Major component of water pollution.
• Reduced levels of dissolved oxygen.

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Sulfur Cycle

• Sulfur compounds are important determinants of
  the acidity of water.
• Particulates may also act as critical regulators
  of global climate.
• Sulfur cycle is complicated by a large number of
  possible oxidation states.

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Sulfur Cycle
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Summary

• Matter and Energy
• Building Blocks of Life
• Chemical Bonds
• Acids and Bases
• Water
• Photosynthesis
• Food Webs
• Ecological Pyramids
• Biogeochemical Cycles

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