DO NOW: Answer questions 1-4. 1. Why does photosynthesis only occur in autotrophs?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How is carbon involved in photosynthesis? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Identify the organelle site of photosynthesis. ________________________________________________________________ 4. Maple trees and tulips are classified as autotrophs because they both(1) Produce gametes by the process of mitosis(2) Produce carbon dioxide and water as metabolic wastes(3) Are able to obtain complex organic materials from the environment(4) Are able to synthesize organic molecules from inorganic raw materials

Word of the DayDecomposer: heterotrophic organisms that obtain their energy by feeding on dead and decaying organisms

Examples: bacteria, fungi, certain types of worms

Fungi

Think, Pair, Share

1. Why do you think decomposers are classified as heterotrophs?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Why do you think the arrows are all pointing towards the fungi (the decomposer in this web)?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. When they break down dead organic matter, decomposers return nutrients to soil. Why do you think it is important to have nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen, in soil? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fungi

Examples of Decomposition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6sFP_7Vezg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0xPt_jCFtU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSYbVHOmHog&feature=relmfu

Practice Problems1. Why is a mushroom considered a heterotroph?(1) It manufactures its own food. (2) It divides by mitosis. (3) It transforms light energy into chemical energy. (4) It obtains nutrients from its environment. 2. Decomposers are necessary in an ecosystem because they(1) produce food for plants by the process of photosynthesis(2) provide energy for plants by the process of decay(3) can rapidly reproduce and evolve (4) make inorganic materials available to plants

3. The diagram below represents some energy transfers in a food chain.

Explain why the organism most likely represented by letter X is a decomposer.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________