layer of gases surrounding Earth.

(singular: alga) diverse group of aquatic organisms, the largest of which are seaweeds.

(adenosine triphosphate) chemical found in most living cells and used for energy.

organism that can produce its own food and nutrients from chemicals in the atmosphere, usually through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

person who studies the properties and reactions of chemicals in living or once-living material.

series of reactions that take place during photosynthesis, where carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere are converted into sugar.

type of sugar that is an important nutrient for most organisms.

greenhouse gas produced by animals during respiration and used by plants during photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is also the byproduct of burning fossil fuels.

method plants use to attach carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to a chemical (RuBP) in order to start the process of photosynthesis.

organism that eats meat.

process that involves a change in atoms, ions, or molecules of the substances (reagents) involved.

capacity to do work.

material, usually of plant or animal origin, that living organisms use to obtain nutrients.

organism that eats mainly plants and other producers.

(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) chemical found in most living cells and used for energy.

substance an organism needs for energy, growth, and life.

organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis and whose cells have walls.

second step in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis, where energy reacts with chemicals to create the simple sugar G3P.

fourth and final step in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis, where energy and sugar interact to form the molecule RuBP, allowing the cycle to start again.

type of chemical compound that is sweet-tasting and in some form essential to life.