Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Photosynthesis

Process by which plants and some other oganisms convert light energy into high energy sugars

cellular respiration

Process used by ALL organisms to extract energy from their food

chloroplast

Cell organelle where photosynthesis occurs

mitochondria

Cell organelle where cellular respiration occurs

food

The MAIN purpose of photosynthesis is to produce.....

ATP (cell energy)

The MAIN purpose of cellular respiration is to produce....

Photosynthesis equation

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

cellular respiration equation

C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP(energy)

carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight

What plants need to do photosynthesis

glucose (sugar) and oxygen

What is produced in photosynthesis

The Sun

Main source of energy for nearly all life on Earth

Producer (autotroph)

An organism that makes its own food

Consumer (heterotroph)

An organism that acquires energy by feeding on other organisms.

Photoautotrophs

An organism that harnesses solar energy through the process of photosynthesis

Chemoautotroph

Organism that uses chemicals to produce food

herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals

Detrivore (scavenger)

An consumer that eats the remains of plants and animals

Decomposer

A consumer that breaks down dead things into smaller materials.

Food chain

A simple diagram that shows one feeding relaitonship in an ecosystem

food web

A diagram used to show all of the feeding relationships in and ecosystem

Trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web

energy pyramid

A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web

1st level consumer

eats producers

2nd level

Eats 1st level consumers

3rd level consumers

Eats 2nd level consumers

limiting factors

any biotic or abiotic factor that causes population growth to decrease

exponential growth

As a population grows larger it grows faster; occurs when a population has unlimited resources.

carrying capacity

largest number of organisms an environment can support at any given time