B18 - Organisms and their environment Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is the principal source of energy input
Sun
Describe the Flow of energy through living organisms
- Energy from sun is transferred to the producer by light
- Light energy is converted into chemical energy by photosynthesis
- Energy is passed on as chemical energy stored in the tissues of organisms as they feed on each other
- Heat energy is released to the environment by organisms when they respire
Sun → Producer → Herbivore → secondary consumer → apex predator
Law of conservation of energy
Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transferred from one form to another
Food chain
Shows transfer of energy from one organism to the next beginning with a producer.
All energy in the food chain comes from the sun.
What does Photosynthesis do with energy
Converts light energy into chemical energy
Energy is passed on as which energy in the food chain
Chemical energy
Energy leaves food chain as which energy
Heat energy
What does the → arrow represents
flow of energy
Simple food chain with the trophic level
(Sun→) Producer (T1) → primary consumer (T2) → secondary consumer (T3) → tertiary consumer (T4)
What is a trophic level?
Feeding level. Position of an organism in a food chain/web.
What is a carnivore?
Animal that gets its energy by eating other animals.
What is a herbivore?
Animal that gets its energy by eating plants.
What is an omnivore?
Animal that gets its energy by eating both other animals & plants/producers.
What is a producer?
Organism that makes its own organic nutrients using energy from sunlight through photosynthesis.
What is a decomposer?
Organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead/organic waste material. Neither producer/consumer.
E.g. fungi & bacteria.
What is a consumer?
An organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms (classed according to position in food chain – primary, secondary, tertiary).
Food web
network of interconnected food chains
