Decay

Cards (36)

  • What do microorganisms release back into the soil during decay?
    Mineral ions
  • What gas do microorganisms release back into the atmosphere during the carbon cycle?
    CO₂
  • What is the purpose of compost heaps in gardening?
    • Decompose plant materials
    • Produce compost as a natural fertilizer
    • Enrich soil for plant growth
  • What materials do gardeners put on compost heaps?
    Dead plant materials
  • What organisms are primarily responsible for decomposition in compost heaps?
    Bacteria and fungi
  • What do decomposers produce during decomposition?
    Compost rich in nutrients
  • What conditions are optimal for decomposition?
    Warm conditions
  • What do enzymes do in the decomposition process?
    Break down plant materials
  • How do warm conditions affect decomposers?
    They speed up enzyme activity
  • What happens if the compost heap gets too hot?
    Enzymes will denature
  • What type of respiration do decomposers primarily carry out?
    Aerobic respiration
  • Why do compost bins have holes in them?
    To allow oxygen to enter
  • What tool do gardeners use to mix compost?
    A gardening fork
  • What is the effect of mixing compost?
    Increases oxygen supply
  • What do microorganisms carry out in the absence of oxygen?
    Anaerobic decay
  • What gas is produced during anaerobic decay?
    Methane
  • What is biogas?
    A mixture of gases including methane
  • What materials are used in small-scale biogas generators?
    Plant materials and animal manure
  • How can biogas generators benefit homes?
    By providing fuel
  • What is the process of aerobic respiration in decomposers?
    It requires oxygen to break down materials
  • Why is oxygen important for aerobic respiration?
    It is required for energy production
  • What is the significance of anaerobic decay in waste management?
    It helps in recycling organic waste
  • What is biogas primarily made of?
    Methane
  • How is biogas generated?
    Through anaerobic decay of waste material
  • What type of waste is used to produce biogas?
    Plant and animal waste
  • What role do microorganisms play in biogas production?
    They decay waste anaerobically to produce methane
  • What is the name of the fermenter used to produce biogas?
    Digester or generator
  • Why must biogas generators maintain a constant temperature?
    To keep microorganisms respiring
  • What happens to biogas if stored at high pressure?
    It can't be stored
  • What are some uses of biogas?
    Boiling, cooking, lighting, generating electricity
  • What are the two main types of biogas generators?
    • Batch generators
    • Make biogas in small batches
    • Manually loaded with waste
    • By-products cleared after each session
    • Continuous generators
    • Make biogas continuously
    • Waste is constantly fed into the system
  • How do batch generators operate?
    They make biogas in small batches
  • What is the process for clearing by-products in batch generators?
    By-products are cleared after each session
  • How do continuous generators differ from batch generators?
    Continuous generators make biogas all the time
  • What is a common application of biogas in energy generation?
    Powering a turbine to generate electricity
  • What is the significance of anaerobic decay in biogas production?
    It produces methane gas from waste material