Unit 3 - KA5 Food Production

Question 1

What are fertilisers?

Answer 1

Fertilisers provide chemicals such as nitrates that increase crop yield

Question 2

What is the biology behind fertilisers? (Nitrates)

Answer 2

-Fertilisers are added to soil to increase the nitrate content
-Nitrates provide amino acids, which are essential for protein synthesis in living organisms
-Animals consume plants or other animals to obtain amino acids for protein synthesis

Question 3

What are some problems with fertilisers?

Answer 3

Fertilisers can leach into fresh water, adding extra, unwanted nitrates. This will increase algal bloom.

Question 4

What are problems with fertilisers? (Eutrophication)

Answer 4

1. Nitrates leach into water from soil
2. Increased nitrates cause an algal bloom to form, reducing light levels
3. Reduced light kills aquatic plants such as algae, which became a food source for bacteria
4. Bacteria greatly increase in number and use up large quantities of oxygen, reducing oxygen availability for other organisms
5. Aquatic organisms die, reducing biodiversity in aquatic organisms

Question 5

What is an alternative to fertiliser?

Answer 5

Genetically modified crops can be used to reduce the use of fertilisers

Question 6

What do pesticides do?

Answer 6

Plants and animals which reduce crop yield can be killed by pesticides

Question 7

What are some problems with pesticides? (Bioacuumulation)

Answer 7

-Pesticides sprayed onto crops can accumulate in the bodies of organisms over time
-As they are passed along food chains, toxicity increases and can reach lethal levels
-The build up of toxic substances in living organisms is known as bio accumulation

Question 8

What are alternatives to pesticides?

Answer 8

-GM crops
-Biological control

Question 9

GM crops as an alternitive to pesticdes

Question 10

Biological control as an alternative to pesticides?