Table of contents

1. Introduction to Biology2h 42m
2. Chemistry3h 37m
3. Water1h 26m
4. Biomolecules2h 23m
5. Cell Components2h 26m
6. The Membrane2h 31m
7. Energy and Metabolism2h 0m
8. Respiration2h 40m
9. Photosynthesis2h 49m
10. Cell Signaling59m
11. Cell Division2h 47m
12. Meiosis2h 0m
13. Mendelian Genetics4h 44m
14. DNA Synthesis2h 27m
15. Gene Expression3h 6m
16. Regulation of Expression3h 31m
17. Viruses37m
- Viruses
  37m
18. Biotechnology2h 58m
19. Genomics17m
- Genomes
  17m
20. Development1h 5m
21. Evolution3h 1m
22. Evolution of Populations3h 53m
23. Speciation1h 37m
24. History of Life on Earth2h 6m
25. Phylogeny2h 31m
26. Prokaryotes4h 59m
27. Protists1h 12m
28. Plants1h 22m
29. Fungi36m
- Fungi
  19m
- Fungi Reproduction
  17m
30. Overview of Animals34m
- Overview of Animals
  34m
31. Invertebrates1h 2m
32. Vertebrates50m
33. Plant Anatomy1h 3m
34. Vascular Plant Transport1h 2m
- Water Potential
  1h 2m
35. Soil37m
- Soil and Nutrients
  20m
- Nitrogen Fixation
  16m
36. Plant Reproduction47m
- Flowers
  33m
- Seeds
  14m
37. Plant Sensation and Response1h 9m
38. Animal Form and Function1h 19m
39. Digestive System1h 10m
- Digestion
  1h 3m
- Blood Sugar Homeostasis
  7m
40. Circulatory System1h 49m
41. Immune System1h 12m
42. Osmoregulation and Excretion50m
- Osmoregulation and Excretion
  50m
43. Endocrine System1h 4m
- Endocrine System
  1h 4m
44. Animal Reproduction1h 2m
- Animal Reproduction
  1h 2m
45. Nervous System1h 55m
- Neurons and Action Potentials
  1h 8m
- Central and Peripheral Nervous System
  46m
46. Sensory Systems46m
- Sensory System
  46m
47. Muscle Systems23m
- Musculoskeletal System
  23m
48. Ecology3h 11m
49. Animal Behavior28m
- Animal Behavior
  28m
50. Population Ecology3h 41m
51. Community Ecology2h 46m
52. Ecosystems2h 36m
53. Conservation Biology24m
- Conservation Biology
  24m

48. Ecology

Introduction to Ecology

General Biology

48. Ecology

Introduction to Ecology

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1:40 minutes

Problem 5

Textbook Question

The solar equator, the region of Earth where the sun is directly overhead, moves from 23.5°N to 23.5°S latitudes and back over the course of a year. Why?
a. Earth wobbles on its axis during the year
b. The position of the poles changes by this amount annually
c. Earth's axis is 23.5° from perpendicular to the rays of the sun
d. Earth moves 23.5° toward the sun in summer and 23.5° away from the sun in winter
e. Ocean currents carry heat from the tropical ocean north in summer and south in winter

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the concept of Earth's axial tilt: Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5° relative to the perpendicular of its orbital plane around the sun. This tilt is responsible for the changing position of the solar equator throughout the year.

Recognize the movement of the solar equator: The solar equator shifts between 23.5°N (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5°S (Tropic of Capricorn) latitudes as Earth orbits the sun. This movement is due to the axial tilt and the Earth's revolution around the sun.

Eliminate incorrect options: Analyze each answer choice. For example, Earth does not wobble significantly on its axis during the year (eliminating option a), the position of the poles does not change annually (eliminating option b), and ocean currents do not directly cause the solar equator's movement (eliminating option e).

Focus on the correct explanation: Earth's axial tilt of 23.5° from perpendicular to the sun's rays causes the apparent movement of the solar equator. This tilt results in the sun being directly overhead at different latitudes during different times of the year (supporting option c).

Relate this to seasons: The axial tilt also explains the occurrence of seasons, as different parts of Earth receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year. This is why the solar equator shifts between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Axial Tilt

Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5° relative to its orbital plane around the sun. This axial tilt is responsible for the changing seasons as different parts of the Earth receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year. The solar equator shifts between 23.5°N and 23.5°S as the Earth orbits the sun, leading to the phenomenon of the sun being directly overhead at different latitudes during different times of the year.

Solar Declination

Solar declination refers to the angle between the rays of the sun and the plane of the Earth's equator. As the Earth orbits the sun, the solar declination changes, causing the sun to be directly overhead at different latitudes. This movement of the solar equator from 23.5°N to 23.5°S and back is a direct result of the Earth's axial tilt and its orbit, influencing seasonal weather patterns and daylight hours.

Seasons

Seasons are the result of the Earth's axial tilt and its orbit around the sun, leading to variations in sunlight intensity and duration at different latitudes. During summer in one hemisphere, that region tilts toward the sun, resulting in longer days and more direct sunlight, while the opposite hemisphere experiences winter. This cyclical pattern of seasons is what causes the solar equator to shift between 23.5°N and 23.5°S throughout the year.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

Areas of low solar irradiation are

a. Closer to the equator than to the poles

b. Closer to the poles than the equator

c. At high altitudes

d. Close to large bodies of water

e. More than one of the above is correct

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Textbook Question

The oceans affect the biosphere by

a. Absorbing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen

b. Regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater

c. Decreasing winter temperatures of coastal terrestrial biomes

d. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

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Textbook Question

The oceans affect the biosphere in all of the following ways except

a. Producing a substantial amount of the biosphere's oxygen.

b. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

c. Moderating the climate of terrestrial biomes.

d. Regulating the pH of freshwater biomes and terrestrial groundwater.

1080

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Textbook Question

What is one expected consequence of global climate change?

a. Average rainfall will increase.

b. Average rainfall will decrease.

c. Variability in rainfall will increase.

d. We cannot make predictions about future rainfall.

810

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Textbook Question

Which statement about dispersal is true?

a. Dispersal is not a component of the life cycles of most plants and animals.

b. Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.

c. Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions depends on dispersal.

d. The ability to disperse does not affect the geographic distribution of a species.

978

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Textbook Question

Which statement about dispersal is false?

a. Dispersal is a common component of the life cycles of plants and animals.

b. Colonization of devastated areas after floods or volcanic eruptions depends on dispersal.

c. Dispersal occurs only on an evolutionary time scale.

d. The ability to disperse can expand the geographic distribution of a species.

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Textbook Question

Which of these statements about aquatic biomes is true? Select True or False for each statement.

T/F The ocean is so vast that it is not influenced by human impacts.

T/F Water depth, water flow, salinity, and nutrient availability are important abiotic factors in aquatic biomes.

T/F Once nutrients sink to the bottom of lakes, they are no longer available to organisms.

1019

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Textbook Question

Which of the following biomes is most common on Earth's land surface?

a. Chaparral

b. Desert

c. Temperate forest

d. Tundra

e. Boreal forest

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