Food production

Question 1

Describe the impact of the human population on food production

Answer 1

An increasing human population requires an increasing food yield.

Question 2

Describe a fertiliser and the impact on food production

Answer 2

Fertilisers can help increase the food yield as they provide chemicals such as nitrates which increase crop yield.

Question 3

Describe a pesticide and the impacts on food production

Answer 3

Pesticides can increase crop yield, by killing unwanted animals and plants that would reduce crop yield.

Question 4

Describe how plants use and obtain nitrates

Answer 4

Nitrates are dissolved in the soil and absorbed by the plants through the roots.

Plants use nitrates to produce amino acids which are used to make proteins.

Question 5

Describe how animals obtain amino acids

Answer 5

Animals consume plants or other animals to gain the amino acids needed for protein synthesis.

Question 6

Describe the relationship between nitrates and fertiliser

Answer 6

Fertilisers can be added to the soil to increase the nitrate concentration.

Question 7

Describe the impact on biodiversity when fertilisers leach into fresh water

Answer 7

Fertilisers can leach into fresh water rivers and streams. This adds unwanted extra nitrates into the water. This leads to a series of events causing Eutrophication.

Fertilisers leach into rivers and streams adding nitrates

The algal population increases causing algal blooms

Algal bloom on the surface of the water reduces the light, killing aquatic plants

Question 8

State the impact of genetically modified crops

Answer 8

The use of genetically modified crops can reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Question 9

Describe the impact of pesticides on organisms within the food chain

Answer 9

Pesticides sprayed onto crops can accumulate into the bodies of organisms over time. As they are passed along the food chain, the toxicity increases and can reach lethal levels.

Question 10

Describe bioaccumulation

Answer 10

Bioaccumulation is the build-up of toxic substances in living organisms.

Question 11

Explain the use of biological control and genetically modified crops in food production

Answer 11

Biological control involves the use of natural predators to manage pest populations, reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides.

Genetically modified (GM) crops are engineered to have specific traits such as pest resistance or increased nutrient levels, which can decrease the necessity for chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture.