Matter in neither created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one type to another

The basic units of matter

Made up of the crust, the mantle, and the core

This is a combination of two or more atoms of the same type or different types joined by covalent bonds

System that receives energy, matter and information

This consists of carbon, oxygen, phosphorus and nitrogen that cycle through all of earth's spheres and organisms

Chemical substance that cannot be broken down into other substances

Ozone, a gas made up of oxygen molecules that each have three oxygen atoms in contained here

Carbon atoms joined by covalent bonds

Removal of soil by water, wind, ice or gravity

Chemical formula for this process C6H12O6 (sugar) + 6O2 yields 6CO2+6H2O + energy

Atoms share electrons equally

This cycles through the lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere endlessly

Formed by nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone

Thermostat is an example of this

This is earth's second-largest carbon reservoir

A sodium atom easily loses its one valence electron and becomes a sodium ion

Earth's surface consists of about 15 of these, most of which include some combination of ocean floor and continent

These can evaporate from spilled or incompletely burned oils and gasoline, then mix with water

Cyclical process where an event is both a cause and an effect

The addition of phosphorus to bodies of water can lead to an overgrowth of producers in this process

The reduction of chemical pollution using organisms that consume or neutralize the polluting substances

A prime example of these is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, part of a 74,000 kilometer system that cuts across the ocean floor

Lipids that store energy, which is released when they burn

Rare in nature, they destabilize a system drastically