8.2: Ecosystems And Energy Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
- The sum of all the organisms living in a given area and the abiotic factors they interact with
What are biotic factors in an ecosystem?
living, or once living, components of the environment
ex. algae, bacteria
What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?
- nonliving (physical and chemical properties of the environment
ex - rocks (minerals), light, water
Recap: what is the 1st law of thermodynamics?
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred
What is the law of conservation of mass?
chemical elements are continually recycled in the environment
Recap: what is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics?
exchanges of energy increase the entropy of the
universe (level of disorganization)
A net gain in energy results in? (2)
- energy storage or growth of an organism (endergonic)
- think: glycogen stores energy, ATO needed for mitosis
- growth
A net loss of energy results in?
- loss of mass and eventual death of an organism
What is metabolic rate?
- The total amount of energy an animal uses in a unit of time
Think: rate of anabolic + catabolic reactions)
What can metabolic rate be measured in?
- calories, heat loss, or by the amount of Oxygen consumed (or CO2 produced)
Why can metabolic be measured by the amount of oxygen consumed or carbon dioxide produced?
- because oxygen is used in cellular respiration and CO2 is produced as a by-product
An animal’s metabolic rate is related to its?
Body mass
Smaller organisms have ___ metabolic rates, while larger organisms have ____ metabolic rates.
- higher
- lower
Why do smaller organisms have higher metabolic rates?
- smaller organisms have higher surface area to volume ratio, so they lose heat to the environment easily
Organisms use different strategies to regulate body temperature. What are the two types of organisms that do this?
Endotherms and ectotherms
