AQA GCSE Biology B1.5 Energy in Biomass

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GCSE Biology Mind Map on AQA GCSE Biology B1.5 Energy in Biomass, created by Katie Nunn on 02/12/2014.
Katie Nunn
Mind Map by Katie Nunn, updated more than 1 year ago
Katie Nunn
Created by Katie Nunn almost 10 years ago
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AQA GCSE Biology B1.5 Energy in Biomass
  1. Pyramids of Biomass
    1. Radiation from the sun is the source of energy for most communities of living organisms
      1. Green plants and algae absorb a small amount of light that reaches them.
        1. Green plants transfer the solar energy to chemical energy which is then passed along the food chain.
          1. This transfer occurs during photosynthesis
            1. The energy is stored in the substances that make up the cells of the plant
              1. A pyramid of biomass represents the mass of the organisms at each stage in a food chain. +accurate than pyramid of numbers
                1. e.g a bush may have insects feeding on it but the mass of the bush would be far larger than the mass of the insects and so the bush would be the first thing in the pyramid
                  1. The mass of each living material (biomass) at each stage of the pyramid is less than that of the previous stage
                    1. The biomass can be drawn to scale and as a pyramid
    2. Energy Transfers
      1. There is wastage at each stage of a food chain
        1. The amounts of material and energy contained in the biomass of organisms is reduced at each successive stage in a food chain.
          1. This means that not all of the energy that is taken in by an organism is used for growth
            1. Not all food eaten can be digested and so some energy is stored in faeces or in urea in urine (waste materials)
              1. Some of the biomass (food) is used for respiration, which releases energy for living processes, including movement, so the more something moves, the more energy it uses and the less is available for growth
                1. Animals need to keep a constant temperature, so energy from the previous stage of the food chain is used to keep the animal at its normal body temp
                  1. Much of the energy which is released in respiration is eventually released into the surroundings.
      2. Decay Processes
        1. Living organisms must remove materials from the environment for growth and other processes.
          1. These materials are eventually returned to the environment either in waste materials or when the organisms dies or decays
            1. Materials decay because they are broken down (digested) by micro-organisms.
              1. These mirco-organisms (bacteria and fungi) are called decomopsers and they work faster if they are in a warm, moist aerobic conditions
                1. Many decomposers also need oxygen.
                  1. The decay process releases substances that plants need to grow
                    1. In a stable community the processes that remove materials are balanced by those that return materials. They are constantly recycled
                      1. Humans can recycle waste in sewage plants and compost heaps
                2. Detrius feeders e.g. some worms start the process of decay by eating dead plants or animals & producing waste materials
                  1. Decay organisms then break down the waste or dead plants and animals
          2. The Carbon Cycle
            1. The constant cycling of carbon is called the carbon cycle.
              1. CO2 is removed from the environment by green plants and algae and is used for photosynthesis
                1. carbon from CO2 is used to make carbohydrates, fats & proteins which make up the body of plants and algae
                  1. When green plants and algae respire some of this carbon becomes CO2 and is released back into the atmosphere
                    1. When animals respire some carbon become CO2 and is released back into the atmosphere
                      1. When plants, animals and algae die, some animals and microorganisms feed on their bodies. Carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide when these organsims respire
                        1. Combustion of wood and fossil fuels release CO2 back into the atmosphere
                          1. The cycle continues

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