BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Direction: Define each of the following terms. Provide scientific definitions related to our discussion.
This take home activity will serve as your reviewer for your midterm examination.

• Condensation – It is define as the conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid. And also the change of
the physical state of matter from gas phase into liquid phase. Condensation is crucial to the
water cycle because it is responsible for the formation of clouds.

• Precipitation – is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under
gravity. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail.
Precipitation occurs when a portion of the atmosphere becomes saturated with water vapor, so
that the water condenses and "precipitates".

• Runoff – also known as “overland flow “is the flow of water that occurs when excess storm
water, melt water, or other sources flows over the Earth's surface. It is the primary agent in soil
erosion by water.

• Infiltration – is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. It is the
process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. Infiltration is governed by two
forces, gravity, and capillary action.

• Percolation - It refers to the movement and filtering of fluids through porous materials. It comes
from the Latin word “percolare”, which means "to strain through." Percolation happens when
liquid is strained through a filter, like when someone makes coffee. The movement of water
through soil and the unsaturated zone into and through the pores of materials in the zone of
saturation.

• Transpiration – is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from
aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers. Water is necessary for plants but only a small
amount of water taken up by the roots is used for growth and metabolism. Transpiration is the
process where plants absorb water through the roots and then give off water vapor through
pores in their leaves.

• Evaporation – is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into
the gas phase after reaching its boiling point. When the molecules of the liquid collide, they
transfer energy to each other based on how they collide. Also the process by which water
changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor. Evaporation is the primary pathway that water moves
from the liquid state back into the water cycle as atmospheric water vapor.

• Cellular Respiration – the oxidation of organic compounds that occurs within cells, producing
energy for cellular processes. Any of various energy-yielding oxidative reactions in living matter
 that typically involve transfer of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide and water as end
products. Basically it involved plants.

• Deforestation – It is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for
other uses. It is also the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter
converted to a non-forest use.

• Reforestation – the action of renewing forest cover as by natural seeding or by the artificial
planting of seeds or young trees.

• Decomposition – is the process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler
organic matter. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is essential for recycling the finite
matter that occupies physical space in the biosphere.

• Nitrogen oxide – any of several oxides of nitrogen most of which are produced in combustion
and are considered to be atmospheric pollutants. It can cause combustion. Basically is a generic
term for the various nitrogen oxides produced during combustion.

• Nitrate – a salt or ester of nitric acid, or any compound containing the univalent group NO3. A
salt or ester of nitric acid, containing the group NO3. Nitrates dissolve extremely easily in water
and are an important component of the nitrogen cycle.

• Nitrite – a salt or ester of nitrous acid, containing the anion NO2− or the group —NO2. This is an
ion that is composed of a nitrogen atom bound to two oxygen atoms. Specifically, nitrite is
classified as an anion.

• Ammonia – a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell. It dissolves in water to give a
strongly alkaline solution. It is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. The
simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia, is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell. It is
a common nitrogenous waste.

• Ammonium – is a positively charged polyatomic ion with the chemical formula NH+4. It is
formed by the protonation of ammonia (NH3). The univalent ion, NH4+, or group, NH4, which
plays the part of a metal in the salt formed when ammonia reacts with an acid.

• Nitrification – is the biological oxidation of ammonia or ammonium to nitrite followed by the

oxidation of the nitrite to nitrate. The transformation of ammonia to nitrite is usually the rate
limiting step of nitrification. Nitrification is an important step in the nitrogen cycle in soil.

• Denitrification – the loss or removal of nitrogen or nitrogen compounds specifically : reduction

of nitrates or nitrites commonly by bacteria (as in soil) that usually results in the escape of
nitrogen into the air.
References:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condensation

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclecondensation.html

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_runoff

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infiltration_(hydrology)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/infiltration_(hydrology).htm

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percolation

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/percolation

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-
maps/percolation

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transpiration

http://www.yourdictionary.com/transpiration

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporation

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleevaporation.html

• https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cellular-respiration

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellular%20respiration

• https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reforestation

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrogen%20oxide
 https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/nitrogen_oxide.htm

• https://www.dictionary.com/browse/nitrate

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/nitrite-definition-structure-formula.html

• https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ammonia

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrification

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denitrification