Chapter 1 - Lesson 1: How Energy Enters the Biosphere

Question 1

What does photosynthesis mean?

Answer 1

• It is a method by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into glucose.
• Another meaning is that plants, algae, bacteria use the sun’s light energy to convert carbon into carbohydrates.

Question 2

What is the cells of a plant which have organelles?

Answer 2

Chloroplasts

Question 3

What is the green pigment that is included?

Answer 3

Chlorophyll

Question 4

What does photosynthesis use energy from?

Answer 4

The Sun

Question 5

How does photosynthesis help?

Answer 5

They help by capturing and storing energy.

Question 6

What does chemosynthesis mean?

Answer 6

Deep-sea producers utilize chemical energy to form organic molecules.

Question 7

What is the Photosynthesis Equation?

Answer 7

6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) + solar energy = C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2(g)

Question 8

What is the Cellular Respiration Equation?

Answer 8

C6H12O6 (s) + O2(g) = 6CO2(g) = 6H2O(l) + energy

Question 9

What does cellular respiration mean?

Answer 9

Energy required for animals, plants, and almost all other species (kinds) of organisms.

Question 10

What does Fermentation mean?

Answer 10

The energy-releasing method for a small number of species which live in environments without oxygen.

Question 11

Who is a producer?

Answer 11

Organisms that are able to use the sun’s energy to produce food.

Question 12

What is the definition of albedo?

Answer 12

Quantity or amount of reflected energy.

Question 13

2% of the energy is harnessed by the sun what is done by the rest of the 98%?

Answer 13

• 30% of the energy is reflected from clouds, particles in the atmosphere, or from land or the surface of the ocean back into space.
• Light coloured, reflective surfaces & thick cloud have high albedos: 80% to 90%.
• dark surfaces (ex. forest canopies: treetops) & water have lower albedos of 25% or less.
• About 19% of the energy is absorbed by gases (ex. water vapour and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.) Some of the energy will heat the atmosphere, and some will radiate back into space.
• About 51% of the energy reaches Earth’s surface. Energy absorbed by the land and oceans warms the planet’s surface. Some of the heat from the warmed surface radiates upward into the atmosphere and out into space.
• 1% to 2%: captured by producers and converted to chemical energy through photosynthesis.

Question 14

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

Answer 14

Energy can be neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be converted from one form to another or transferred from one object to another.

Question 15

What is the 2nd law of thermodynamics?

Answer 15

Energy is lost to less usable forms as it flows through the ecosystem.

Question 16

What is the definition of cellular respiration?

Answer 16

Happens in the mitochondria of both animal and plant cells to produce ATP, the chemical compound which supplies energy to cells.

Question 17

What is the definition of Solar Radiation Budget?

Answer 17

It explains the distribution of the sun’s energy.

Question 18

What does the producers capture?

Answer 18

They capture the sun’s energy.

Question 19

What energy does consumers use?

Answer 19

They use the energy captured by producers.

Question 20

What is another definition of producers?

Answer 20

Organism which makes their own food. However, they have the ability the sun’s energy to produce food.

They supply energy directly to primary consumers (herbivores), who are then consumed by secondary consumers (omnivores or carnivores.)

Question 21

Who are herbivores?

Answer 21

Animals that eat only plants. Also, they eat other producers.

Question 22

Who are consumers?

Answer 22

Heterotrophs which consume other heterotrophs or autotrophs.

Another name: heterotrophs which means other-feeders

Question 23

Who are primary consumers?

Answer 23

Organism that obtains energy by eating plants.

They are on the second trophic level.

ex. on land - (insects, snails, birds, mammals etc.)
ex. in water - (some species of fish, small invertebrate animals: clams, some aquatic insects.)

Question 24

Who are carnivores?

Answer 24

Animals that eat other animals.

Question 25

Who are secondary consumers?

Answer 25

They eat primary consumers.

They are on the 3rd trophic level.

ex. spiders, frogs, insect-eating birds

Question 26

Who are tertiary consumers?

Answer 26

They eat secondary consumers.

They are on the 4th trophic level.

ex. giant carbs and blind fish

Question 27

Who is a decomposer?

Answer 27

• They get energy by consuming dead plant and animal matter or waste.