Energy in Biomass Flashcards
What is the source of energy for most communities of living organisms?
Radiation from the sun
How much of the light that reaches them do green plants and algae absorb?
A small amount
During which process does the transfer from light energy to chemical energy occur?
During photosynthesis
Where is the chemical energy from photosynthesis stored?
In substances that make up the cells of plants
The mass of living material (biomass) at each stage in the food chain is less than…
It was at the previous stage
How can the biomass at each stage of the food chain be drawn?
As a pyramid of biomass, that’s to scale
What are the 2 reasons why the biomass of organisms is reduced at each successive stage in a food chain?
Some materials and energy are always lost in an organisms’ waste materials, respiration supplies all the energy needs for living processes, including movement
What happens to much of the energy from respiration?
It is eventually transferred to the surroundings
