Section 9 - Use of Biological Resources P1 Flashcards
What affects a plants rate of photosynthesis?
- intensity of light
- concentration of carbon dioxide
- the temperature
How can you maximise crop yield?
By carefully controlling the conditions which plants are grown in since they make food for themselves
-increasing the temperature, carbon dioxide concentration and light intensity
What buildings do we use to grow crops to artificially create ideal conditions for photosynthesis?
-glasshouses or polytunnels (big tube-like structures made from polythene
Why is it easier to enclose plants in structures than letting them grow in a natural environment?
- keeping the plants enclosed in a glasshouse makes it easier to keep them free from pests and disease
- helps farmers control the water supplied to their crops
What do commercial farmers often do about the crops access to light?
-often supply artificial light after the sun goes down to give the plants more time to photosynthesise
What do commercial farmers often do about the crops growing environment’s temperature?
- glasshouses trap the sun’s heat to keep the plants warm
- in winter, a farmer might use a heater to keep the temperature at an ideal level
What do commercial farmers often do about the crops access to carbon dioxide?
-farmers can increase the level of carbon dioxide in glasshouses (e.g. by using a paraffin heater to heat the place, as it burns it create carbon dioxide as a by-product)
What minerals do plants need?
nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium
-so they can make important compounds
What happens if a plant doesn’t get enough of the mineral ions it needs?
Their growth and life processes can be affected
What can cause the soil to not have enough of the minerals needed by plants?
-a previous crop could have used them up
How and why do farmers increase the levels of mineral ions in the soil?
- use fertilisers to replace the missing mineral ions or provide more of them
- helps to increase crop yield
What are pests?
Pests include microorganisms, insects and mammals.
Pests are organisms that do unhelpful things, such as feeding on crops?
What do farmers do about pests?
Pests that feed on crops are killed using methods of pest control.
Why do farmers want to control pests?
If pests are killed, then fewer plants are damaged or destroyed, increasing crop yield
What methods of pest control do farmers use?
pesticides
biological control
What are pesticides?
Pesticides are a form of chemical pest control
What are the dangers of using pesticides?
- often poisonous to humans (must be used carefully to keep the level of pesticide in food below a safe level)
- some pesticides can harm other wildlife
What is biological control?
Biological control means using other organisms to reduce the numbers of pests, either by encouraging wild organisms or adding new ones
What types of organisms can be used for biological control?
- predators(ladybirds eat aphids)
- parasites(some flies lay their eggs on slugs, eventually killing them)
- disease-causing(bacteria that affect caterpillars)
What are the advantages of using biological control?
- can have a longer-lasting effect than spraying pesticides
- can be less harmful to wildlife
What are the disadvantages of using biological control?
-they can upset a balance, or the new organism introduced can become a pest itself (e.g. cane toads were introduced to Australia to eat beetles, now they are a major pest because they poison the native species that eat them)
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is when microorganisms break sugars down to release energy - usually by anaerobic respiration.
What is fermented milk?
Yogurt
Why is the equipment used to ferment the milk sterilised?
To kill of any unwanted microorganisms
Describe the process by which milk is turned into yogurt:
- the equipment is sterilised
- the milk is pasteurised, then cooled
- lactobactillus bacteria are added, the mixture is incubated (around 40°C) in a fermenter vessel
- the bacteria ferment the lactose into lactic acid
- lactic acid causes the milk to clot & solidify into yogurt
- flavours and colours are sometimes added to the yogurt and it is packaged
What does the pasteurising process involve?
heating milk up to 72°C for 15 seconds
Why is milk pasteurised in the process for making yogurt?
To kill any harmful, unwanted microorganisms