Energy and biomass in food chains
- Created by: ukgamer321
- Created on: 24-04-14 19:30
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- Energy and biomass in food chains
- Pyramids
- Biomass
- always get smaller as you get to the top of the pyramid
- Biomass means the mass of the organism, - water
- Number
- Biomass
- energy loss in food chains
- not all energy is passed along
- some is lost through movement, respiration, growth and excretion
- not all of the organism is digested
- photosynthesis, light energy from the sun is transferred into chemical energy in the plant and is stored as carbs (eg glucose)
- this is not very effective as most of the energy is reflected or lost as heat
- cell walls are made of cellulose. Energy is stored in chemicals in cells/tissue/growth as glucose/starch/fat
- not all energy is passed along
- Decay
- 1.plants take elements (carbon, oxygen etc) from the soil and air. And turn them into compounds that make up animals.
- compounds- carbs, fats and proteins
- 2. the elements are returned by waste products or when the organism dies. These materials decay
- decay- digested by micro-organisms
- 3. micro-organisms work best in warm, moist conditions with lots of oxygen. Compost bins re create this
- detritus- dead/ decaying matter
- eg, dead leaves
- detritivore- feeds on detritus.
- earth worms, maggots, woodlice
- 1.plants take elements (carbon, oxygen etc) from the soil and air. And turn them into compounds that make up animals.
- Being vegetarian is more energy efficient because you're cutting out the higher food chain levels
- Carbon Cycle
- 1. dead organisms digested by detritivores and decomposers (bacteria). The bacteria digest the organic molecules (proteins, carbs) into small pieces which are then absorbed
- 2. bacteria release CO2 into the atmospheare when they respire.
- 3. if the dead organisms are fossilised they can be burnt (combustion) which releases CO2
- 4. plants use CO2 in photosynthesis
- photosynthesis- carbon+water------> glucose+oxygen
- respiration- glucose+oxygen ----------> C02+water+energy
- Pyramids
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