Energy Flow Through Plants, Consumers and Decomposers
For life to continue on earth, two conditions are necessary. Matter must be continuously recycled and energy must be continuously added to the planet by sunlight.
In nearly all cases energy flow starts with energy from the sun. Solar energy is captured by producers. Plants and animals that make their own food. Most of the energy captured by producers is lost to the environment, but some is past on to consumers such as animals or to decomposers. Into the eco system through it's organisms and out into the environment. In contrast nutrients are typically cycled amoung the aray of consumers and decomposers of the eco system.
Autotrophs: organisms that use energy, usually light, to synthesize their food from inorganic compounds.
Plants are autotrophs that use energy from sunlight to convert the low-energy compounds carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates through a process called photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis: the process by which plants use chlorophyll to trap sunlight energy and use it to produce carbohydrates.
Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration includes all the chemical reactions that provide energy for life.
There are two main types of respiration aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Anaerobic Respiration:Is respiration that takes place without oxygen.
Aerobic Respiration:takes place in the presence of oxygen and involves the complete oxidation of glucose.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
ATP is an imporatant compound used throughout the cell to help drive cellular processes that require energy, including active transport , cell division , movement and endocytosis.