This definitions covers Key Definitions within The Water Cycle for GCSE Biology. Topic 6: The Water Cycle It is section 5 of 11 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Topic position
Section 5 of 11
Practice
12 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
📖 Key Definitions
Water cycle: The continuous movement of water between the oceans, atmosphere, land, and living organisms through processes including evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and percolation.
Evaporation: The process by which liquid water on the surface (oceans, lakes, rivers) is converted into water vapour by the energy of the sun and rises into the atmosphere.
Transpiration: The loss of water vapour from plants through the stomata in their leaves. Part of the transpiration stream — water entering at roots and exiting at leaves.
Condensation: The process by which water vapour cools at altitude and changes back into tiny liquid water droplets, forming clouds.
Precipitation: Water falling from clouds back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Percolation: The downward movement of water through soil and rock into the ground, forming groundwater stores that feed springs and rivers.
Stomata (singular: stoma): Tiny pores, mainly on the underside of leaves, through which plants release water vapour (transpiration) and exchange gases.
Abiotic factor: A non-living component of an ecosystem (e.g., water availability, temperature, light intensity) that affects the distribution and abundance of organisms.