Biotic Vs. Abiotic
What is something that is alive in an ecosystem called?
Biotic
The original source of energy in most ecosystems.
The sun
Organisms that make their own food.
Producers
A hawk, a snake, and a mouse all show up to a pizza party, but only the mouse eats the pizza. Who gets energy from the pizza?
The mouse.
The process that plants and bacteria use to produce food and oxygen.
Photosynthesis
What is something that is NOT alive in an ecosystem called?
Abiotic
The process plants use to make food using sunlight.
Photosynthesis
Organisms that eat other organisms.
Consumers
A model that shows multiple feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Food web
A student sprints to catch the bus and their cells need energy fast. What process is releasing energy from food?
Cellular respiration
A cupcake factory explodes and covers the ground in frosting. Are cupcakes biotic or abiotic? Explain.
Abiotic — cupcakes are not living and do not grow or reproduce.
The direction energy flows in a food chain.
From producers to consumers
Consumers that eat only plants.
Herbivores
Each step in a food chain is called what?
Trophic levels
The process that plants and animals use to release energy from food.
Cellular respiration
Sunlight, soil, temperature, and precipitation are examples of what?
Abiotic
What happens to energy when one organism eats another.?
Energy moves from the organism being eaten to the eater.
On Planet Zog, “glowshrooms” use purple light to make their own food. Are glowshrooms producers or consumers?
Producers — they make their own food using light.
Organisms that break down dead plants and animals.
Decomposers
A wizard removes all sunlight from a forest for a week. Which group of organisms is affected first: producers or consumers?
Producers — they need sunlight for photosynthesis.
Is a tree biotic or abiotic? Explain your reasoning.
Biotic — it has cells that reproduce, and it performs photosynthesis.
If a bunny eats grass, what happened to the energy that the grass got from the sun?
From the grass to the bunny
A lizard and a frog both eat grasshoppers. What trophic level are they?
Secondary Consumers
If all the lizards move to a different feeding ground, what will most likely happen to the insect population? Why?
The insect population will increase because there aren't any predators.
How are photosynthesis and cellular respiration related?
They are opposites; the products of one are the reactants of the other.