Ecosystem and photosynthesis
What is an ecosystem?
What is all the living organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact.
What are autotrophs?
Autotrophs are organisms that have the ability to use energy from the sun to convert simple inorganic substances into complex organic substances.
Why are the autotrophs called “producers”?
These organisms are producers of glucose and oxygen.
Why are heterotrophs called “consumers”?
They are called “consumers” because they must consume the food made by autotrophs in order to satisfy their energy requirements.
What is a food chain?
A food chain is a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy from one organism to another by eating and by being eaten.
What is the ultimate source of energy in an ecosystem?
Do autotrophs convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (glucose).
Yes.
A few autotrophs can produce glucose in the absence of light. What is this process called?
Chemosynthesis
What are “decomposers”?
Decomposers are a class of detritivores that cause decay by breaking down organic compounds into simpler compounds.
What is the first step in every food chain?
All food chains begin with an autotroph.
How much of the sun’s energy is used by the living organisms on Earth?
What is less than 1%
What organisms on Earth are considered to be autotrophs?
Green plants, the algae, a few species of bacteria and a few protists.
What is the definition of “chemosynthesis”?
Chemosynthetic autotrophs use the energy contained in the chemical bonds of inorganic molecules such as hydrogen sulfide to produce food.
Which living organisms are considered to be “decomposers”?
Decomposers include bacteria and fungi.
What is a food web?
The network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem. A food web links all the food chains in an ecosystem together.
Which 1% of living organisms are capable of making use of the sun’s energy?
What is organisms that are capable of photosynthesis?
What are the main autotrophs on land?
The green plants.
Which organisms can carry out chemosynthesis?
A few species of bacteria.
What would happen if there was no decomposition?
All life on Earth would cease as detritus (dead organic matter) piled up and the supply of chemical elements needed to build new organisms was exhausted.
What is a trophic level?
Each step in a food chain is called a trophic level. The trophic level indicates the organism’s position in the sequence of energy transfers.
What is the definition of photosynthesis?
What is the process by which green plants (and a few other organisms) use the light energy from the sun to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen.
What are the main autotrophs in bodies of water?
The algae.
What are heterotrophs?
Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot make their own food. They rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply.
Can energy be recycled?
No.
The first trophic level.
The first trophic level in a food chain is always made up of producers. These organisms are referred to as primary producers.