MATTER & ENERGY IN ECOSYSTEMS STUDY GUIDE
SUMMARY:
Photosynthesis: carbon dioxide + water + energy from sunlight -> glucose + oxygen
Cellular respiration: oxygen + glucose -> carbon dioxide + water + energy released
VOCABULARY:
-Carbon: an atom that’s in molecules such as carbon dioxide and energy storage molecules
-Carbon dioxide: CO2
-Oxygen (in the form of molecules that are in the air): O2
-Water: H2O
-Ecosystem: all the living and nonliving things interacting in a particular area
-Closed ecosystem: an ecosystem that is sealed off and doesn’t exchange matter with the outside.
-Bio: a prefix meaning “life”
-Biotic matter: Matter that makes up living AND DEAD organisms in an ecosystem
-Abiotic matter: Matter that has never been alive, such water, rocks, and air. The carbon dioxide in air is abiotic.
-Glucose: a type of sugar that plants make during photosynthesis. It’s the main source of energy for living organisms. The formula for glucose is C6H12O6
-Energy storage molecules: molecules that organisms can use to release the energy they need to survive. Glucose is one type of energy storage molecule.
-Producer: an organism that can produce its own energy storage molecules (such as glucose)
-Consumer: an organism that needs to eat in order to get energy storage molecules (such as starch and fat)
-Primary consumer: eats producers
-Secondary consumer: eats primary consumers
-Decomposer: an organism that gets energy storage molecules by breaking down dead matter
-Photosynthesis: the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water
-Cellular respiration: the chemical reaction between oxygen and glucose that releases energy into cells. Organisms use this energy for survival.
-Chloroplast: the part of a cell where photosynthesis happens
-Mitochondria: the part of the cell where cellular respiration happens
-Carbon cycle - the movement of carbon between the plants, animals, and the Earth
NOTES
-Energy storage molecules contain chains of carbon atoms. This is why carbon is the basis of all life!
-Producers are needed in EVERY ecosystem to supply energy and matter to the rest of the ecosystem.
Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration
-Producers get carbon dioxide for photosynthesis from their environment, either in the air or dissolved in water. That’s why plants absorb so much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
-Plants and animals (including decomposers) release carbon dioxide into their environment because they do cellular respiration, and carbon dioxide is a product of cellular respiration..
- Photosynthesis is done only by producers, while cellular respiration is done by ALL organisms, including plants! Plants use sunlight for photosynthesis but they still need to do cellular respiration when they need energy for other things.
-When there is more carbon dioxide in the environment or more sunlight, producers can do more photosynthesis. When there is less carbon dioxide in the environment or less sunlight, producers can do less photosynthesis. When there is no sunlight, plants can’t do photosynthesis.
Two Views of the Carbon Cycle