Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary role of proteins in plants?
What is the primary role of proteins in plants?
Which process returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
Which process returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
In a leaf, where are chloroplasts primarily located?
In a leaf, where are chloroplasts primarily located?
What is the main function of chlorophyll in plants?
What is the main function of chlorophyll in plants?
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What is the purpose of using fertilizers in agriculture?
What is the purpose of using fertilizers in agriculture?
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Which substance is crucial for the production of chlorophyll in plants?
Which substance is crucial for the production of chlorophyll in plants?
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What happens when plants lack nitrate in their growth environment?
What happens when plants lack nitrate in their growth environment?
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How do greenhouse gases contribute to climate change?
How do greenhouse gases contribute to climate change?
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What caused an ice age 67 million years ago?
What caused an ice age 67 million years ago?
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What has been the trend of global temperatures due to climate change?
What has been the trend of global temperatures due to climate change?
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Study Notes
Carbon Cycle
- Plants use carbon dioxide to make carbohydrates
- Carbohydrates are used to make proteins and fats
- Carbon is contained in carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
Carbon Sources
- Fossil fuel combustion releases CO2 into the atmosphere
- Animal respiration releases CO2 into the atmosphere
- Plant respiration releases CO2 into the atmosphere
- Decomposition process releases CO2 into the atmosphere
Fertilizers
- Fertilizers are chemical substances added to soil/media to make plants grow larger and healthier
- Important fertilizers include:
- Nitrate: needed to make protein, essential for plant growth and chlorophyll production
- Magnesium: needed to make chlorophyll, essential for photosynthesis
Leaf Structure
- Leaf is thin to allow sunlight to pass through
- Chloroplasts are found in the cells of the middle layers (palisade and spongy mesophyll)
- Water is brought in through the veins
- Carbon dioxide enters through the stomata
- Oxygen leaves through the stomata
Climate Change
- Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane) trap heat and increase surface temperature
- Climate change has occurred in the past, with fluctuating temperatures and intermittent ice ages
- Suspected causes of climate change include:
- Collision with extra-terrestrial objects (e.g. asteroid collision 67 million years ago)
- Current climate change:
- Stable carbon dioxide levels for 2000 years
- Increasing carbon dioxide emissions after industrial revolution and use of fossil fuels
- Global temperatures steadily increasing
- Impacts of climate change include:
- Extreme weather
- Less predictable rainfall
- More drought
- Rising sea levels
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Description
Test your knowledge on the carbon cycle process including how plants use carbon dioxide to make carbohydrates, the role of carbohydrates in making proteins and fats, and how carbon is returned to the atmosphere through respiration, decomposition, and fossil fuel combustion.
