Lesson 8 - Decomposers

Question 1

Saprophytes

Answer 1

the living organisms that live and feed on dead and decaying organisms.

Question 2

Detritivores

Answer 2

Small animals which speed up decomposition by shredding orbit material into small pieces.

This creates a large surface area for decomposers to work on

Question 3

Saprophytic nutrition involves:

Answer 3

Bacteria/fungi secreting enzymes out of their cells into the soil or dead organism.
The enzymes digest the organic material. This is known as extracellular digestion as it happens outside the cells.
The products of digestion are absorbed by the bacteria/fungi.

Question 4

Ideal temperature for decomposition

Answer 4

Warm

Question 5

What happens to the rate of decomposition at high temperature?

Answer 5

At high temperatures the enzymes used by microorganisms are denatured, this prevents
decomposition and often results in death for the micro organism

Question 6

What happens to the rate of decomposition at low temperature?

Answer 6

At low temperatures the rate of decompositions is slow as the rate of enzyme controlled reactions are reduced, the rate of micro organisms replication is also slow

Question 7

Is a moist environment ideal for decomposition ?

Answer 7

Yes

Question 8

What happens to the rate of decomposition if there is not enough water available?

Answer 8

Reactions within the microorganism will slow down or be prevented. This reduces or stops the process

Question 9

Are anaerobic conditions ideal for decomposition?

Answer 9

No, aerobic conditions are

Oxygen is needed for microorganisms to respire

Question 10

Rate of decay =

Answer 10

Change in mass / time