Metabolism

Question 1

Holding electrons and hydrogens etc means that you’re _____.

Answer 1

Reduced

Question 2

Losing electrons and hydrogens etc means that you’re _____.

Answer 2

Oxidized

Question 3

Photosynthesis

Answer 3

CO2 + H2O –> CH2O

Question 4

What are the ways that organisms obtain energy?

Answer 4

(1) Light, CO2 –> Photosynthetic autotrophs
(2) Inorganic molecules –> Chemosynthetic autotrophs
(4) Organic molecules –> Heterotrophs

Question 5

Photo-autotrophs

Answer 5

Light is used to “pump up” low energy electrons from H2O or H2S and store energy into sugar

Question 6

Chemo-autotrophs

Answer 6

Uses reduced inorganic compounds, requires less energy to remove than H-O bonds and store energy into sugar

Question 7

What are the different methods of photosynthesis?

Answer 7

C3, C4, CAM

Question 8

C3 Photosynthesis

Answer 8

• Light reaction (C fixation) and Calvin cycle in same chloroplast
• Trade-off between CO2 gain and water loss via stomata (CO2 gradient < water gradient)
• thrives where sunlight and temperatures are moderate, abundant CO2 and water
• RuBisCo, breaks RuBP (6C) into 3C sugar (3-Phosphoglycerate)

Question 9

C4

Answer 9

• Two chloroplasts - Light reaction in mesophyll and Calvin cycle in bundle sheath cell
• Uses a 4C acid to separate fixation from synthesis
• Specialized bundle sheaths deep in tissue

Question 10

CAM

Answer 10

• Photosynthetic steps are separated in time (day vs night)

- Light reaction occurs at night, stores 4C acid in vacuole, Calvin cycle use in daytime

Question 11

Heterotrophs

Answer 11

Uses organic molecules created by other organisms as their source of carbon and energy

Question 12

Omnivore

Answer 12

Varied diet

Question 13

Insectivore

Answer 13

Eats insects

Question 14

Piscivore

Answer 14

Eats fish

Question 15

Herbivore

Answer 15

Eats plants

Question 16

Carnivore

Answer 16

Eats animals/meat

Question 17

Detritivore

Answer 17

Eats dead matter

Question 18

Size selective predation

Answer 18

Selection of prey is usually dictated by size

Question 19

For carnivores, prey is usually of similar/dissimilar nutritional value.

Answer 19

similar. Carnivores can typically vary their diet and eat what is available.

Question 20

Challenges of carnivores

Answer 20

(1) Physical
(2) Aposematism (Mullerian/Batesian mimicry)
(3) Evasion
(4) Camouflage

Question 21

Aposematism

Answer 21

Warning coloration/anti-predator adaptations

Question 22

Mullerian mimicry

Answer 22

Poisonous animals look similar

Question 23

Batesian mimicry

Answer 23

Non-poisonous animals look like poisonous species

Question 24

What limits animal energy intake?

Answer 24

(1) Time spent searching for food

(2) Time spent handling/processing food

Question 25

What are the types of animal functional responses?

Answer 25

(1) Type I–linear rise, abruptly levels off at the maximum feeding rate (spiders)
(2) Type II – linear rise, slowing at middle, gradual leveling off at the maximum feeding rate (most animals)
(2) Type III – S-shape, slow increase at low densities, rapid intake at middle, leveling off at high densities (snails)

Question 26

Optimal foraging theory

Answer 26

If organisms have limited access to energy, natural selection will favor the most effective foragers.

Assuming energy is limited, an organism must trade-off or allocate resources to optimize some functions at the cost of others.