Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A model of energy transfer that shows how food chains in a community are interconnected.

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What is photosynthesis?

Back

The process by which plants transform energy from the sun into stored energy in the form of glucose.

Front

How does energy flow through an ecosystem?

Back

Energy flows from the Sun to producers and then to consumers.

Front

What is cellular respiration?

Back

The process by which cells use glucose and oxygen to make ATP energy, water, and carbon dioxide within the mitochondria.

Front

What is nitrogen fixation?

Back

The process that changes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen compounds that are usable by living things.

Front

What are producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Organisms that produce their own food, typically through photosynthesis, such as plants.

Front

What are consumers in an ecosystem?

Back

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on consuming other organisms for energy.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.