Biology pp 6,3 and 6,4

Consumers

animals and humans; the consumers of glucose and other nutrients in the food cycle

Food chain

string of organisms that eat one another, with arrows between the organisms

herbivore

eats only plants

omnivore

eats plants and meat

carnivore

eats only meat

Photosynthesis

water + carbon dioxide + sunlight → glucose + oxygen

**Glucose** is turned into …

starch, proteins, fats and vitamins

Prey

animals that are eaten by other animals

Predators

Carnivores that hunt the prey

Feeding relationship

when one organism is eaten by another organism

Link

a step in a food chain indicated by an arrow

Food Web

multiple connected food chains

Food pyramid

graphical representation of organisms at each level (link) in the food chain

Pyramid of numbers

graphical representation of the number of organisms at each level (link) in the food chain

Biomass

the weight of an organism without water

Pyramid of biomass

graphical representation of the biomass of organisms at each level (link) in the food chain

Pyramid shape because

•Indigestible substances aren’t passed on to the next link

•Energy loss (respiration) is not passed on to the next link

Soil Profile

Cross section of the soil of for example a forest

Litter layer

top layer in a soil profile made from plant and animal waste on the soil

Humus layer

second layer in a soil profile made from a layer of dark grains

Soil animals

animals that eat the natural waste from the litter layer and put the waste into smaller pieces in the humus layer

Topsoil

bottom layer in a soil profile; can contain various types of soil: sand, clay, loam, or peat

Natural waste (detritus)

waste from nature

Detritivores (waste eaters)

animals that feed on natural waste

Decomposers

bacteria and fungi turn humus to minerals

Minerals

fertilizers (salts) that plants absorb with their roots

Hyphae

small fungal threads that are good at absorbing nutrients

Food cycle

plants make nutrients →Humans and animals use those nutrients →Waste eaters eat waste of plants, animals, and humans →Fungi and bacteria transfer the remains of the waste eaters into minerals →Plants make nutrients again with the aid of those minerals

Producers

green plants: the producers of glucose and other nutrients in the food cycle

Fertilizer

food for plants, containing minerals

Manure

poop and urine of animals such as cows, pigs, and chickens