Environmental Science Overview

Environmental Science

• Definition: Study of the natural world and the impact of human activity on the environment
• Subfields:
  • Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms and their environment
  • Conservation Biology: Focus on preserving and protecting threatened species and ecosystems
  • Environmental Policy: Development and implementation of laws and regulations to protect the environment
• Key concepts:
  • Sustainability: Meeting present needs without compromising future generations
  • Biodiversity: Variety of species, ecosystems, and genes in an environment
  • Climate Change: Global warming and associated changes in weather patterns
  • Ecosystem Services: Benefits provided by nature, such as clean air and water, and soil formation

Biology

• Definition: Study of living organisms and their interactions
• Subfields:
  • Molecular Biology: Study of biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins
  • Cellular Biology: Study of cell structure, function, and processes
  • Organismal Biology: Study of entire organisms, including structure, function, and behavior
  • Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms and their environment (also part of Environmental Science)
• Key concepts:
  • Cells: Basic units of life, composed of cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material
  • Genes: Units of heredity, carrying information from one generation to the next
  • Evolution: Process of change in species over time through natural selection and genetic drift
  • Homeostasis: Ability of organisms to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes

Physics

• Definition: Study of the natural world around us, focusing on matter, energy, and the fundamental laws that govern the universe
• Subfields:
  • Mechanics: Study of motion, force, and energy
  • Thermodynamics: Study of heat, temperature, and energy transfer
  • Electricity and Magnetism: Study of electric charges, currents, and magnetic fields
  • Quantum Mechanics: Study of behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level
• Key concepts:
  • Laws of Motion: Newton's laws describing how objects move and respond to forces
  • Energy: Ability to do work, comes in different forms (kinetic, potential, thermal, etc.)
  • Matter: Anything that has mass and occupies space, composed of atoms and molecules
  • Waves: Periodic disturbances that transfer energy through a medium, including light and sound

Environmental Science

• Study of the natural world and the impact of human activity on the environment
• Consists of three subfields: Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Environmental Policy
• Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms and their environment
• Conservation Biology: Focus on preserving and protecting threatened species and ecosystems
• Environmental Policy: Development and implementation of laws and regulations to protect the environment
• Aims for sustainability, which is meeting present needs without compromising future generations
• Recognizes the importance of biodiversity, which is the variety of species, ecosystems, and genes in an environment
• Addresses climate change, which is global warming and associated changes in weather patterns
• Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature, such as clean air and water, and soil formation

Biology

• Study of living organisms and their interactions
• Consists of four subfields: Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Organismal Biology, and Ecology
• Molecular Biology: Study of biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins
• Cellular Biology: Study of cell structure, function, and processes
• Organismal Biology: Study of entire organisms, including structure, function, and behavior
• Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms and their environment (also part of Environmental Science)
• Cells are the basic units of life, composed of cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material
• Genes are units of heredity, carrying information from one generation to the next
• Evolution is the process of change in species over time through natural selection and genetic drift
• Organisms maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes through homeostasis

Physics

• Study of the natural world around us, focusing on matter, energy, and the fundamental laws that govern the universe
• Consists of four subfields: Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Quantum Mechanics
• Mechanics: Study of motion, force, and energy
• Thermodynamics: Study of heat, temperature, and energy transfer
• Electricity and Magnetism: Study of electric charges, currents, and magnetic fields
• Quantum Mechanics: Study of behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level
• Newton's laws describe how objects move and respond to forces
• Energy is the ability to do work, comes in different forms (kinetic, potential, thermal, etc.)
• Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space, composed of atoms and molecules
• Waves are periodic disturbances that transfer energy through a medium, including light and sound

Environmental Science

• Environmental Science is the study of the natural world and the impact of human activities on the environment.
• Ecology studies the relationships between organisms and their environment.
• Conservation Biology focuses on the preservation and protection of threatened and endangered species.
• Environmental Policy involves the development and implementation of policies to protect the environment.
• Biodiversity refers to the variety of species, ecosystems, and genes.
• Ecosystem Services provide benefits such as air and water purification, soil formation, and climate regulation.
• Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs.
• Climate Change causes global warming and associated changes in weather patterns.
• Pollution is the release of harmful substances into the environment, including air, water, and land pollution.
• Deforestation is the clearance of forests, leading to loss of habitat and biodiversity.

Chemistry

• Chemistry is the study of the composition, properties, and reactions of matter.
• Inorganic Chemistry studies inorganic compounds, such as minerals and salts.
• Organic Chemistry studies organic compounds, such as carbon-based molecules.
• Physical Chemistry studies the physical properties and behavior of matter.
• Atomic Structure consists of protons, neutrons, and electrons that make up an atom.
• Chemical Bonding forms bonds between atoms, including ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds.
• Chemical Reactions involve the transformation of one or more substances into new substances.
• Acidity and Basicity measure the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.
• pH is a scale used to measure the acidity or basicity of a solution.
• Chemical Equilibrium is a state in which the rates of forward and reverse reactions are equal.