Unit 2 Vocabulary

4. includes all non-living parts of the soil, rocks, and minerals
8. single-celled organisms found almost everywhere on Earth
10. made up of all the parts of Earth where life exists
11. coal, natural gas, and oil that formed over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals
12. the process by which bacteria and fungi break down dead organic matter
15. an element that is found in all living things
16. an area of land where rain collects into a common river or stream
17. the process of changing nitrogen gas into ammonia and nitrates
18. the process of breaking down food in the mitochondria of cells to release energy
19. movement of water through the particles of soil so it can collect deep underground

1. includes all liquid or frozen water and water vapor
2. element that makes up 78% of the atmosphere and is a vital part of all DNA
3. when nitrogen is absorbed and made part of the plant and animal compounds
5. an organism similar to plants but lacking chlorophyll, leaves, or flowers
6. production of ammonia during the decay of organic matter
7. the process by which green plants use sunlight to create food from carbon dioxide and water
9. a place in a biogeochemical cycle where nutrients are stored in either short term or long term
13. the process where water vapor cools to become a liquid
14. the process of liquid water becoming water vapor