Food Production

Question 1

Advantages of intensive farming

Answer 1

• Feeding animals high protein foods to increase growth
• Feed exact nutrients needed
  = less food wasted
• Restricting the movement of animals so that energy used for movement is minimal and more can be used for growth
• Less respiration
  = less biomass wasted

Question 2

Disadvantages of intensive farming

Answer 2

• Animals are in close confinement increases the risk of disease spreading
• Animals lack of movement
• Pens/cages can be very small and injure livestock

Question 3

Define biological control

Answer 3

introducing other species to remove pests

Question 4

Advantages of farming in artificial environments

Answer 4

the growing conditions can be monitored and controlled to improve productivity

Question 5

Describe a hydroponic

Answer 5

Soil is replaced by a mineral solution pumped around the plant roots
= Unused minerals are recycled
= Production costs are lower with no pollution risk to waterways

Question 6

Advantage of hydroponics

Answer 6

allows crops to be grown in regions where there’s no soil

Question 7

How can efficiency of food production improve

Answer 7

• restricting energy transfer from food animals to the environment
• feed animals high protein food

Question 8

Ways animal stocks can be protected

Answer 8

• control of ‘net’ size
• animal quotas so you can’t fish during certain seasons.
• animal quotas so you can’t catch certain species.

Question 9

Advantages of micro organisms (eg quorn)

Answer 9

• Much faster – organism population can double in 20mins
• Easy to handle and manipulate – can be grown in fermenters rather than taking up space in fields
• Grow large amounts in small amount of space
  = efficient source of protein

Question 10

Disadvantages of micro organisms (eg quorn)

Answer 10

• taste
• people know it’s made out of fungus

Question 11

Main food source of fungi in fermentation

Answer 11

Glucose

Question 12

Why is air bubbled throughout nutrient solution

Answer 12

Provides oxygen for respiration

Question 13

Importance of constantly stirring contents of fermenter

Answer 13

Prevent fungus from settling at the bottom

Question 14

Why must a fermenter have a cooling jacket around it

Answer 14

• respiration transfers thermal energy
• if temps rise too much fungus would be killed

Question 15

How is micro protein made

Answer 15

• produced by microorganism of a fungus that’s grown on glucose syrup in a fermentor
• in aerobic conditions fungus converts glucose syrup into micro protein
• biomass is harvested and purified before being made into products