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Definition
| transformations that incorporate inorganic forms of elements into the molecules of plants, animals, and microbes |
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| involves the transformation of organic elements back to an inorganic form, accompanied by release of energy |
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Definition
| an atom is oxidized when it _____ electroms, and reduced when it _____ them |
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| 14 billion cubic km, or 14 x 10^18g |
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Definition
| amount of water in the biosphere |
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| more than ___ % of water in the biosphere resides in the oceans |
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| nitrogen enters the biological pathways of the nitrogen cycle by assimilation by certain microorganisms |
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| involves the breaking down of proteins into their component amino acids by hydrolysis and the oxidation of the carbon in those amino acids |
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| involves the oxidation of nitrogen, first from ammonia to nitrite (NO2), then from nitrite to nitrate (NO3), diring which nitrogen atoms are stripped of six, and then two more, of their electrons. |
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| nitrogen is reduced to nitric oxide (NO). important for breaking down OM in oxygen-depleted soils and sedients but also results in loss of nitrogen from soils because some nitric oxide escapes as a gas |
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| acid that leads to acid rain and acid mine drainage |
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Definition
| use sunlight as source of energy |
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Definition
| obtain energy for CO2 reduction by the aerobic oxidation of inorganic substrates like methane, hydrogen, ammonia, nitrite, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur, sulfite, or ferrous iron salts |
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Term
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Definition
| under anaerobic conditions in soils and sediments, certain bacteria can use _____ in place of oxygen as an oxidizing agent |
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