Why does the burning of fossil fuels cause an imbalance within the carbon cycle? What is the consequence of this imbalance? Include a diagram of the carbon cycle to illustrate your answer

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: Answers should include a diagram similar to that shown in Figure 20.1 (page 632). The natural carbon cycle remains in balance because the production of carbon dioxide by respiration is roughly balanced by the consumption of carbon dioxide by photosynthesis. Over geological time, a large amount of carbon has built up in the form fossil fuels, soils, sediments, and rocks. This stored carbon is being rapidly released as carbon dioxide through the burning of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels is generating carbon dioxide faster than photosynthesis can consume or store it, thus the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. Over geological time, these processes will continue and a new homeostasis will be reached, but in the near term the increased carbon dioxide may cause significant global warming (climate change) that will impact human society.

Biology & Microbiology

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In the catabolism of arginine to generate ATP in Mollicutes, the first reaction is catalyzed by ________.

A. ATP synthetase B. arginine deaminase C. Embden-Meyerhof pathways D. Pentose phosphate pathways

Biology & Microbiology

An initial, but extensive, study of a breeding population of gerbils shows that the allele for fluffy fur (F) is dominant and occurs with a frequency of 0.8, whereas the smooth fur allele (f) occurs with a frequency of 0.2. Several years later, another study is conducted which shows that the frequency of gerbils displaying the smooth fur phenotype is 0.4. Which statement is true?

a. The population exhibits Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. b. The proportion of smooth-furred gerbils has doubled. c. Some kind of evolutionary force acted on the population. d. The allele for smooth fur has become dominant.

Biology & Microbiology

The area where two populations overlap and breeding occurs, even if biologists consider the

populations to be different species, is known as: a. a homozygous zone. b. a hybrid zone. c. an autologous zone. d. an adaptive zone. e. a primary zone.

Biology & Microbiology

What volume of diluent do you need to add 6.0ml to in order to perform a 10^-3 dilution?

What will be an ideal response?

Biology & Microbiology