Deaf in itions
What is a microorganism ?
Tiny organisms that can only be seen using a microscope. Many are single celled organisms.
What is an organism ?
MRS GREN An organism is any individual living thing that does all of these: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition.
What does a food chain show ?
A list of organisms in a habitat that shows their feeding relationship.
Where are microorganisms that act as decomposers commonly found?
everywhere
What is a habitat ?
The environment where an organism lives.
What does unicellular mean ?
An organism that is made of only one cell.
State two examples of predators.
Any carnivore or omnivore.
How are feeding relationships shown in a food chain ?
The organisms are joined by arrows.
What kinds of materials do decomposers break down?
Decomposers break down dead organic matter (detritus) including dead plants and animals, and waste products.
What is an ecosystem ?
A community of different organisms and the non-living parts of the environment working as a system.
What is a predator ?
An animal that eats other animals.
How do arrows in a food chain indicate what a predator eats ?
The arrow points from the organism being consumed (prey) to the organism that eats it (predator).
What do the arrows in a food chain indiacte ? [What is being transferred ?]
The arrows show the transfer of energy. [in food]
State two names [specific examples] of microorganisms that are decomposers
bacteria, fungus, prorozoa
What is a likely result of an increase in the number of predators ?
An increase in the number of predators in an ecosystem typically leads to a decrease in the prey population.
What is a producer in a food chain ?
A producer is a plants that uses light energy to produce chemical energy from water and carbon dioxide [photosynthesis].
Where does all the energy in the food web come from?
All energy in food webs originates from the Sun. Plants use light energy to make chemical energyy (sugars). This energy then flows through the food web, from producers to consumers and finally to decomposers.
What is a primary consumer ?
A primary consumer is an organism that feeds directly on producers (plants) to gain energy,
Where would the decomposers be in the food chain?
Decomposers are put at the end of a food chain. They break down dead organic material and waste from all trophic levels—producers, primary, and secondary consumers—turning them into nutrients that are returned to the soil for producers, completing the cycle of life.
What might happen to a food web if a predator becomes very rare?
The population prey animals increases. With too many herbivores, plants poulations may decrease causing animals that eat plants to die.
What is a trophic level ?
A trophic level is the position an organism in a food chain or web, representinga step in the transfer of energy through an ecosystem.
How is most energy lost in a food chain ?
Most energy [90%] is lost in a food chain primarily as heat through respiration and as waste. Only about 10% of energy is passed to the next trophic level.
What is a secondary consumer ?
A secondary consumer is an organism in a food chain that feeds on primary consumers (herbivores).
How do decomposers help to support the food web?
Decomposers break down dead organisms forming a vital role in the recycling of matter. When organisms die and decompose plants absorb the broken down nutrients through their roots.
Why are food webs a better model when showing feeding relationships ?
Most organisms have more than one food source, so there is more than one food chain, resulting in many food chains being linked together.