Chapter 2: Ecosystem Processes
Food chains show the transfer of energy between organisms, the arrows represent the direction of energy transfer.
A food chain consists of a producer, a herbivore, a carnivore and an apex predator.
The producer is a plant which makes its own food.
The herbivore is a type of consumer which eats the producer.
The carnivore is a type of consumer which eats other animals.
The apex predator is the last link in the food chain, which eats the carnivore,
Bioaccumulation- The build up of chemicals, like insecticides, passed along a food chain.
Food webs show how lots of food chains are connected in an ecosystem.
A population is the number of organisms who live in the same area.
Populations of organisms are constantly changing, which affect other populations in a food web.
Aerobic Respiration
This is with oxygen.
The word equation for aerobic respiration is glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water ( + energy).
Aerobic respiration occurs in the mitochondria of cells in order to transfer energy.
Mitochondria- small structures in a cell which make most of the energy for the cell.
Glucose is absorbed from the small intestine into the blood plasma. It is transported into the cells where it diffuses in.
Blood plasma- the liquid component of your blood, which contributes to just over 50% of your blood’s volume.
Oxygen is breathed in, then it diffuses into the bloodstream. Oxygen is then carried by haemoglobin to the cells where it diffuses in.
Haemoglobin- a red pigment which binds with oxygen in order to carry oxygen to where it is needed for respiration.
Carbon dioxide then diffused out of the cells and into the blood plasma. After that, it is transported to the lungs where it diffuses into the alveoli and is exhaled.
Alveoli- multiple air sacks which are inside your lungs. Alveolus is the singular version of alveoli.
This is without oxygen.
The word equation for this is glucose → lactic acid ( + energy).
Anaerobic respiration happens when there is not enough oxygen for aerobic respiration, such as intensive exercise.
It transfers less energy than aerobic respiration.
The lactic acid produced can cause muscle cramps. This causes increased inhalation to break down lactic acid – the oxygen needed is called the oxygen debt.
It can take a few hours from a normal exercise, to several days after a marathon in order to pay back an oxygen debt.
The word equation for this is glucose → ethanol + carbon dioxide ( + energy)
Yeast respires anaerobically, the fermentation is important in food production.
Photosynthesis is a chemical reaction that takes place in the chloroplast to produce glucose.
The word equation for photosynthesis is carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen. The symbol equation for this would be Co2+h2o → c6h12o6+o2.
Leaves have a lot of chlorophyll, which absorb light for photosynthesis and are responsible for the green colour in a leaf.
They are thin in order for gases to be able to diffuse in and out of the leaf.
They have a large surface area so they can absorb as much light as possible.
They have veins, these are the vascular tissue of the leaf and are located in the spongy mesophyll.
The vascular system has two types of tissue, xylem and phloem.
The xylem distributes water and dissolved minerals upward through the plant, from the roots to the leaves, while the phloem carries glucose downward from the leaves to the roots.
The minerals plants need for growth are nitrates, phosphates, potassium and magnesium.
Nitrates for growth.
Phosphates for healthy roots.
Potassium for healthy leaves and flowers.
Magnesium for making chlorophyll
If a plant does not have enough of a mineral, it may suffer from a mineral deficiency. Farmers can use fertilisers to add missing minerals to the soil.
Symptoms of mineral deficiency in a plant are stunted growth, purple-red colouring, chlorosis, Interveinal Chlorosis and Chlorosis.
Chlorosis- The loss of the green colour in plants, this is due to them producing insufficient chlorophyll. Leaves with chlorosis are often pale, yellow or a pale yellow. This is caused by iron deficiency.
Interveinal Chlorosis- A yellowing of the tissue in between the veins due to the leaves producing insufficient chlorophyll. Unlike Chlorosis, the veins are still green.
Chemosynthesis is when bacteria use a variety of chemical reactions to make their own glucose.
Unlike photosynthesis, it does not use sunlight as the energy source, it uses chemicals.
The word equation for chemosynthesis is- Carbon Dioxide + Water + Hydrogen Sulfide → Glucose + Sulfur Compounds
The symbol equation for chemosynthesis is 18H2S + 6CO2 + 3O2 → C6H12O6 (carbohydrate) + 12H2O + 18S.
Prey- An organism which is eaten by another organism.
Predator- An organism that eats another organism.
Interdependence- When living organisms depend on each other to survive, grow, and reproduce.
Ecosystem- All the organisms found in a particular location, and the area they live in.
Community- The organisms in an ecosystem.
Habitat- The area a community lives in
Niche- The particular place or role that an organism has within an ecosystem. This reduces competition for resources.
Food chains show the transfer of energy between organisms, the arrows represent the direction of energy transfer.
A food chain consists of a producer, a herbivore, a carnivore and an apex predator.
The producer is a plant which makes its own food.
The herbivore is a type of consumer which eats the producer.
The carnivore is a type of consumer which eats other animals.
The apex predator is the last link in the food chain, which eats the carnivore,
Bioaccumulation- The build up of chemicals, like insecticides, passed along a food chain.
Food webs show how lots of food chains are connected in an ecosystem.
A population is the number of organisms who live in the same area.
Populations of organisms are constantly changing, which affect other populations in a food web.
Aerobic Respiration
This is with oxygen.
The word equation for aerobic respiration is glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water ( + energy).
Aerobic respiration occurs in the mitochondria of cells in order to transfer energy.
Mitochondria- small structures in a cell which make most of the energy for the cell.
Glucose is absorbed from the small intestine into the blood plasma. It is transported into the cells where it diffuses in.
Blood plasma- the liquid component of your blood, which contributes to just over 50% of your blood’s volume.
Oxygen is breathed in, then it diffuses into the bloodstream. Oxygen is then carried by haemoglobin to the cells where it diffuses in.
Haemoglobin- a red pigment which binds with oxygen in order to carry oxygen to where it is needed for respiration.
Carbon dioxide then diffused out of the cells and into the blood plasma. After that, it is transported to the lungs where it diffuses into the alveoli and is exhaled.
Alveoli- multiple air sacks which are inside your lungs. Alveolus is the singular version of alveoli.
This is without oxygen.
The word equation for this is glucose → lactic acid ( + energy).
Anaerobic respiration happens when there is not enough oxygen for aerobic respiration, such as intensive exercise.
It transfers less energy than aerobic respiration.
The lactic acid produced can cause muscle cramps. This causes increased inhalation to break down lactic acid – the oxygen needed is called the oxygen debt.
It can take a few hours from a normal exercise, to several days after a marathon in order to pay back an oxygen debt.
The word equation for this is glucose → ethanol + carbon dioxide ( + energy)
Yeast respires anaerobically, the fermentation is important in food production.
Photosynthesis is a chemical reaction that takes place in the chloroplast to produce glucose.
The word equation for photosynthesis is carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen. The symbol equation for this would be Co2+h2o → c6h12o6+o2.
Leaves have a lot of chlorophyll, which absorb light for photosynthesis and are responsible for the green colour in a leaf.
They are thin in order for gases to be able to diffuse in and out of the leaf.
They have a large surface area so they can absorb as much light as possible.
They have veins, these are the vascular tissue of the leaf and are located in the spongy mesophyll.
The vascular system has two types of tissue, xylem and phloem.
The xylem distributes water and dissolved minerals upward through the plant, from the roots to the leaves, while the phloem carries glucose downward from the leaves to the roots.
The minerals plants need for growth are nitrates, phosphates, potassium and magnesium.
Nitrates for growth.
Phosphates for healthy roots.
Potassium for healthy leaves and flowers.
Magnesium for making chlorophyll
If a plant does not have enough of a mineral, it may suffer from a mineral deficiency. Farmers can use fertilisers to add missing minerals to the soil.
Symptoms of mineral deficiency in a plant are stunted growth, purple-red colouring, chlorosis, Interveinal Chlorosis and Chlorosis.
Chlorosis- The loss of the green colour in plants, this is due to them producing insufficient chlorophyll. Leaves with chlorosis are often pale, yellow or a pale yellow. This is caused by iron deficiency.
Interveinal Chlorosis- A yellowing of the tissue in between the veins due to the leaves producing insufficient chlorophyll. Unlike Chlorosis, the veins are still green.
Chemosynthesis is when bacteria use a variety of chemical reactions to make their own glucose.
Unlike photosynthesis, it does not use sunlight as the energy source, it uses chemicals.
The word equation for chemosynthesis is- Carbon Dioxide + Water + Hydrogen Sulfide → Glucose + Sulfur Compounds
The symbol equation for chemosynthesis is 18H2S + 6CO2 + 3O2 → C6H12O6 (carbohydrate) + 12H2O + 18S.
Prey- An organism which is eaten by another organism.
Predator- An organism that eats another organism.
Interdependence- When living organisms depend on each other to survive, grow, and reproduce.
Ecosystem- All the organisms found in a particular location, and the area they live in.
Community- The organisms in an ecosystem.
Habitat- The area a community lives in
Niche- The particular place or role that an organism has within an ecosystem. This reduces competition for resources.
