B1.5 Energy and Biomass in food chains Flashcards
What is the source of most energy?
Radiation from the sun
What absorbs energy from the sun?
Green plants and algae
What transfer of energy occurs in photosynthesis?
Light energy to chemical energy
The mass of living material at each stage in a food chain is…
Less than it was at the previous stage
How can biomass stages in a food chain be shown?
As a pyramid of biomass
Why is the amount of material and energy contained in the biomass of organisms reduced at each successive stage in a food chain?
Some materials and energy are always lost in the organism’s waste materials, through movement, as heat, some material which makes up the plants/animals is inedible etc
What does the biggest bar on a pyramid of biomass represent?
The producer
What is the bar after the producer?
The primary consumer
What is the bar after the primary consumer?
The secondary consumer and etc
What does respiration supply?
Energy for all life processes including movements
What is most energy lost to the surroundings as?
Heat
Why is each level of biomass smaller than the one previous?
Energy is lost throughout the food chain
