bba part1_4 (gajaseni, 2001)1 q. what are energy and matter transformation mechanisms?

BBA Part1_4 (Gajaseni, 2001) 1

Q. What are energy and matter transformation mechanisms?


What is the basic structure of energy flow in an ecosystem?


What limit the length of food chains?


All lifes on the earth depend on the transfers of energy and

matters.


Does this dictum apply to human?


Information transfer


What is the information transfer in organisms?

What are the information

transfers in human?


Dynamic of life and environment

There were 3 phases of lifes in relation to the environment and time scale.


Phase 1: Chemical evolution (~4.6 billion years)


Part 1 Formation of the Earth and its early crust and atmosphere

Part 2 Evolution of the non-living biological molecules necessary for life-DNA, RNA, proteins and carbohydrates


Part 3 Evolution of systems of chemical reactions needed for linking these biopolymers in ways to produce the first living cells.


Phase 2: Biological evolution (~3.6-3.8 billion years)

- Development of diverse species through genetics modification and natural selection of the Earth primitive cells and the organisms that followed.


Phase 3: Diversification of life forms (~600 million years)


What is the future?


Q. Why does the Earth is the suitable place for the origin

and evolution of life?


A. 1. Life, as the form on the Earth, cannot survive without water.

2. Distance and movement of the Earth around the sun is the optimal:

2.1 if too close, water will be in the vapor form, e.g. Mercury

2.2 if too far, water will be in the ice form, e.g. Mar

3. Movement around its exist, make temperature on both sides of the earth uniform.

4. With the appropriate size, gravity can maintain the atmosphere which are suitable for life.


Q. What is the basic problem facing life of the Earth?


Q. What are the impacts?


A. 1. Organismic level2. Population level3. Community-ecosystem level


Does life posses regulatory characteristics?


What are control mechanisms?


1. Feedback control1.1 Negative feedback

control1.2 Positive feedback control


2. Congeneric homotaxis or redundancy in functional

components


Does the Earth posses control mechanism?


Conclusion1. The Earth’s atmosphere did not just develop by chance.2. Organisms from the very beginning played the major role in development and control of geochemical environment favorable to themselves.3. The Earth is not just a ‘habitat’ for organisms, but the Earth seems to be a ‘biosystem’.


Gaia Hypothesis (Lovelock, 1979)

“Organisms, especially microorganisms, have evolved with the physical

environment to provide an intricate control system that keep Earth’s

conditions favorable for life”


Problem1. It is unlikely to be proved or disproved.2. If there is a control mechanism, it must be highly complex.Ex: Bacteria species ~3,000 species Probable relationships=(n)(n-1)/2

=3000*2999/2 =4,498,500


3. If more species involve, the relationships will be exponential.4. Even with impressive progress in ecology, we still have limited understanding of interactions between the biotic components and environment.


5. Biotic diversity is highly decreasing.

1 species/day - 1 species/hour between 1970-2000, or 500,000-600,000 species by 2000

bba part1_4 (gajaseni, 2001)1 q. what are energy and matter transformation mechanisms?

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