Ecology - Biomass, Food And Biotechnoogy

Question 1

What are tropic levels

Answer 1

Different stages in the food chain

Labelled 1 to 4

Question 2

Tropic level one

Answer 2

Producers
Eg plants and algae
Make their own food through photosynthesis

Question 3

Tropic level 2

Answer 3

Primary consumers

Herbaviors that eat pants and algae

Question 4

Tropic level 3

Answer 4

Secondary consumers
Canavors that eat primary consumers and secondary consumers
Meat eaters

Question 5

Trophic level 4

Answer 5

Carnovors that eat other carnivores
Tertiary consummers
Have no predictors
Top of the food chain so known as apex preditors

Question 6

Decompsoers

Answer 6

E.g bacteria fungi 
Decompose dead plant or animal material 
They do this by sectrearing enzymes that break down the dead stuff into small soluble food molecules.
These then diffuse into microorganisms 
Also released nutrients into environment

Question 7

What does a pyramid of biomass show

Answer 7

The relative mass of each trophic level

Question 8

If the energy that comes form the sun , how much is transferred for pjotosythesis

Answer 8

1%

Question 9

How does a plant create its biomass

Answer 9

Uses glucose form photosynthesis to make biological molecules wich make up the plants biomass (mass of living material) biomass stored energy

Question 10

How is biomass lost through uneaten material

Answer 10

They dont eat eveything. For example may leave the bone so that biomass is not transferred

Some organisms die before they are eaten so their energy isn’t past alone food chain

Question 11

How is biomass lost through waste products

Answer 11

Dont absorbed all energy so some is released as faeces

Some biomass is converted into other things like energy and heat

Produces waste co2 and water

Urea is another waste substance wich is released in urine when proteins in biomass are broken down

Question 12

how do you calculate efficiency of biomass transfer

Answer 12

biomass transfer to the next level / biomass transfer at the previous level x 100

Question 13

what is food security

Answer 13

having enough food to feed the population

Question 14

name 5 factors that affect food security

Answer 14

population is increasing

as diets change demand for certain foods changes which can already be in scarce supply

farming can be affected by pests and pathagens or changes in environmental conditions

this can result in loss of crop and livstock

sometimes there are not enough people producing food due to high input costs of seeds and mechanary

Question 15

what is sustanible production

Answer 15

making enough food without using resources faster than they renew

Question 16

what is overfishing

Answer 16

reducing fish stocks in the oceans so there is less fish for us to eat. It affects the oceans food chains and some species may disapeear.

Question 17

how can fish stocks be maintained

Answer 17

fishing quotes- limits on the number and size of fish that can be caught in certain areas.

net size- limits on mesh size to reduce the number of discarded fish. larger mesh will allow unwanted fish to escape

Question 18

how can efficacy of food production be increased

Answer 18

limiting movement
temperature controlled environment
so more energy is available for growth

another thing is high protein foods

Question 19

underline the positives and negatives of factory farming

Answer 19

positive: higher efficiency , cheaper to buy, helps feed increasing human population
negatives: cruel, low animal welfare, unnatural, disease spreads, energy required to maintain temperatures

Question 20

what is mycoprotein and what is it use for

Answer 20

protein from fungi. used to make high protein meat substitutes such as quorn.

Question 21

what fungus is the main source of mycoprotein and how is it made

Answer 21

fusarium. its grown in large vats on glycose syrup with oxygen and nitrogen and other minerals. once ready its purified and dried to make the mycoprotein.

Question 22

what is genetic engineering

Answer 22

transferring a useful gene from one organism to another

Question 23

how is Bactria genetically engineered to make human insulin

Answer 23

insulin gene is cut out of a human chromosome using a restriction enzyme. resistiction enzymes recognize sequences of dna at cut at that point. The cut leaes onre dna strand with unpaired bases (sticky end)

a plasmid is cut open using same restriction enzyme, leaving the same sticky end.

the plasmid and the insulin gene are mixed together. ligase(enzyme) is added wich joins the sticky ends to produce recombinant dna wich is inserted into a bacterium.
bacterium grown in a vat and you end u with millions of bacteria that produce insulin

the insulin can be harvested and purifyed to treat ppl with diabetes.

Question 24

benefits of gm crops

Answer 24

increases yield as they could becomes resistance to pests and diseases or able to grow in more challenging conditions .

may contain nutrients that ppl are missing in their diets.

Question 25

concerns of gm crops

Answer 25

people go hungry because they cant afford to buy the food. its not cus there is no food. so poverty needs to be tackled first. sometimes the problem is poor soil. fears countries may become dependant on the the companies who sell gm foods.