3.5 Food Production Flashcards
What is bio-accumulation
The build up of pesticides in organisms in a food chain.
what are 2 alternatives to pesticides?
The use of biological control and genetically modified (GM) crops.
What chemicals are present in fertilisers?
Nitrates which increase crop yield.
what are pesticides used for?
to kill plant and animals which reduce crop yield
What are nitrates used for?
Nitrates help build amino acids which are used to create proteins for plant growth
how do animals obtain their amino acids for protein synthesis?
by consuming plants or other animals
what are fertilisers used for?
they are added to soil to increase the nitrate content of the soil.
what is a problem that can occur when using fertilisers?
fertilisers can leach into fresh water adding extra, unwanted nitrates.
An excess on fertilisers in the soil can lead to which problem?
Algal bloom
An increase of algae in the water leads to which issue?
The algae block out light causing aquatic plants to die.
The death of aquatic plants leads to which problem?
Bacteria decompose the plants and use up all the oxygen in the water
What do we call the use of a natural predator to kill a pest?
Biological control
