Food For Thought – Energy

Ecology

the study of the RELATIONSHIPS of living things to EACH OTHER and their ENVIRONMENT (surroundings)

Ecosystems

ALL of the LIVING communities of an area together withthe NON-LIVING parts of their ENVIRONMENT

Parts of an Ecosystem

LIVING community (BIOTIC factors)ENERGY input and useNUTRIENT cyclingNON-LIVING environment (ABIOTIC

factors)

Ecology involves the study of the following things:

The interactions between members of the BIOTIC community (the living plants, animals and microbes)

The interactions between members of the BIOTIC community and the NON-LIVING environment

The interactions between the ABIOTIC environmental factors (such as light-temperature-moisture)

The Environment and Energy

Energy – the ABILITY to do WORK All LVING ORGANISMS use energy

for life processes.

Forms of Energy:

1. Light2. Heat3. Chemical4. Mechanical5. Electrical

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy is never CREATED nor DESTROYED but is only CHANGED from one form to another, or TRANSFERRED from one place to another.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

When ENERGY is transformed or transferred, a part of the energy is LOST in the form of HEAT.

How organisms obtain energy

ECOSYSTEMS are powered by energy from the SUN

Energy only enters living things at the PRODUCER level.

As energy is passed along the FOOD chain, much of it is lost as HEAT.

How organisms obtain energy

Energy flows ONE way through the food chain, from PRODUCERS through CONSUMERS.

Each level of the food chain has LESS available energy in it.

Different organisms get energy in different ways

Autotroph -- organisms that can make their own food (green plants)

Heterotrophs -- organisms that cannot make their own food and have to feed on autotrophs or other heterotrophs (cows)

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The form of energy used by cells for cell activities

Energy stored in ATP is BROKEN DOWN by ATPase, an ENZYME, to a molecule of ADP. When that chemical bond is broken, energy is released.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

Without ATP all living organisms will DIE.

All organisms get their ENERGY from ATP.

Photosynthesis

6CO2 + 6H2O ----------> C6H12O6 + O2

CARBON +WATER SUNLIGHT SUGAR + OXYGEN DIOXIDE

Three Phases

Light absorption by CHLOROPHYLLLight Dependent reactions – water is

SPLIT into HYDROGEN and OXYGEN. OXYGEN is released and energy is transferred to the next phase.

Light Independent reactions – carbon dioxide and WATER are combined to form CARBOHYDRATES

Factors affecting Photosynthesis

Amount of LIGHTIntensity of the LIGHTAmount of WATERDIRECTION of the lightTemperature

Respiration

The release of energy from sugar molecules

C6H12O6 + O2 ----------> 6CO2 + 6H2O

SUGAR + OXYGEN ENZYMES CARBON +WATER

DIOXIDE

How They Fit in

Trophic Levels

Producers

Green PlantsThey capture light energy from the sun and convert it into food energy.

Consumers

are Animals that depend upon greenplants and other animals for food.

Types of Consumers

Primary Consumer (Herbivores) – eat PLANTS to get energy

Secondary Consumers (Carnivores, omnivores) – eat ANIMALS, to get energy

Tertiary Consumers (Carnivores, omnivores) – eat ANIMALS, and Plants to get energy

Decomposers

Break down and DECOMPOSE DEAD ORGANISMS getting energy and releasing nutrients back into the environment.

You Are What You Eat

Food Chains – a simple LINEAR drawing showing which organisms feed upon which others

You Are What You Eat

Food Web – A NUMBER OF INTER-CONNECTING FOOD CHAINS

Pyramids of Numbers

Numbers decrease as we go from one food level to the next. Numbers that decrease are BIOMASS, AVAILABLE ENERGY, and organism population size.

Soils