1. The Food Chain ENERGY CONVERSION

2. Photosynthesis is the process that uses light energy from the sun, together with carbon dioxide and water, to make glucose and oxygen. – The primary role of photosynthesis is to make glucose (sugar), suggesting that oxygen, which is released back into the atmosphere, is just a waste product. The chemical equation for Photosynthesis is: – 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O + Light Energy  C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2 – Reactants  Products PHOTOSYNTHESIS

3. Plants take in carbon dioxide from the air through the stomata which are located under the leaves. They take in water mainly through the roots. The products of photosynthesis are glucose and oxygen. – Glucose is a simple sugar molecule, which can be combined with other glucose molecules to form large carbohydrates, such as starch. – Oxygen is a waste product of photosynthesis. The overall process is chemical; it is literally changing the “ingredients” of sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into a useable form of energy. REACTANTS  PRODUCTS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

4. Cellular Respiration is the process in which the cells of living things break down the organic compound glucose with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. – The primary role of Cellular respiration is that of energy conversion. The chemical equation of Cellular respiration is: C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2  6CO 2 + 6H 2 O – The exact opposite of Photosynthesis CELLULAR RESPIRATION

5. Cellular Respiration occurs in the cells of all kinds of organisms, including those that make their own food (producers) as well as those that get their food by consuming other organisms (consumers). All organisms need a constant supply of energy to stay alive. Energy is the ability to do work. In organisms, this work can be physical work, like walking or jumping, or it can be the work used to carry out the chemical processes in their cells. REACTANTS  PRODUCTS OF CELLULAR RESPIRATION

6. Organisms that make their own food by use of photosynthesis. Producers make food for the rest of the ecosystem. As energy is not recycled, energy must consistently be captured by producers. – This energy is then passed on to the organisms that eat the producers, and then to the organisms that eat those organisms and so on. The survival of every ecosystem is dependent upon its producers. Without producers capturing the energy from the sun and turning it into glucose, an ecosystem could not exist. PRODUCERS

7. On Land: plants; trees, flowers, grass, shrubbery. Any plant you can think of. Phytoplankton : tiny photosynthetic organisms. – The most common producers in the oceans and lakes. – Algae, certain types of seaweed, pond scum, etc. DOMINANT PRODUCERS

8. Organisms that obtain their energy from other organisms. Herbivores : Animals that eat producers to get energy. (for example rabbits, deer, mice, cows) Carnivores : Animals that feed on other animals. (for example hawks, snakes, alligators, lions) Omnivores : Animals that eat both producers and consumers. (for example dogs, cats, humans, raccoons) Chemosynthesis : bacteria using chemical processes to produce food; they get their energy from sources other than the sun, and are called producers. CONSUMERS

9. Get nutrients and energy by breaking down dead organisms and animal wastes. (for example mushrooms and bacteria.) – Through this process, decomposers release nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen, back into the environment. – These nutrients are recycled back into the ecosystem so that the producers can use them. They are passed to other organisms when they are eaten or consumed. The stability of an ecosystem depends on the actions of the decomposers. DECOMPOSERS