Setting the stage for life & GLOSSARY What is a living thing? deflect: to cause s thing to change ments: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen al known as organic matter. environment (nutrition| Living things are mostly made up of and nitrogen. These elements make up a mate rmain harmful: causing damage or injury to TohERed Ronee aceally a Living things also interchange substances with th parsck hail oric He eay oan they react to stimuli (interaction) and can make organ! themselves (reproduction) Conditions for life There are certain conditions on our planet tha make life possible ‘A magnetic field This field deflects cosmic rays and solar winds, and stops them reaching the Earth's surface. - Remy A protective atmosphere The stratospheric ozone (0,), J made up of three oxygen atoms, absorbs part of the harmful ultraviolet solar radiation. Carbon compounds Carbon dioxide (CO, isa vital gas for life. It is mainly found in the air, ‘but is also present in water. This gas and water are the main com, Z ponents, required for photosynthesis.What conditions make life possible on Earth? Abiotic factors Abiotic factors are the environmental and physical conditions that influence where organisms can live, These include temperature, the quantity of light and rainfall, the landscape, the type of rocks and soil, the availability of water and the amount of dissolved substances in the water Abiotic factors are not equally distributed across the Earth’s surface. «Light and thermal energy depend upon latitude: they decrease from the Equator to the poles. Under water they decrease with depth + The quantity of water depends upon rainfall, which varies according to latitude, distance from the sea and altitude. These conditions change globally with the seasons and locally, depending on land relief: temperature decreases with altitude and topography modifies precipitation. ‘Let's tuterpret Temperature bands This map shows the average annual temperatures on the Earth’s surface. 4) Which latitudes receive more thermal energy from the Sun? 1) Compare the temperature in Africa and the Atlantic Ocean at the same latitude. Are they the (©) At the Equator, evaporation is greater because it is the zone with the greatest amount of sunshine. Does this affect temperature? > Biotope A biotope is the non-living part of an environment that includes all of the abiotic factors. 4, Listen to a father helping his (4) daughter revise fora test. Temperature: 20°C in the air show coed thei canta and 15°C inthe water whstasplicit By Ses kee 5) What example does she give Molecules: 0,,N,, C0,» H,0, ete State ee Bae ©) What other important factors for life on Earth are not ‘mentioned here? 2. Give examples to demonstrate that the Sun is essential for living things. 3. Relief determines the distribution of organisms. Give an example to demonstrate this.