Trophic Levels

• What are trophic levels?

  Different stages of a food chain
• What are decomposers?

  Microorganisms which decompose dead plant or animal material
• What doe pyramids of biomass show?

  Relative masses of trophic levels
• What is lost between each trophic level?

  Biomass
• How can efficiency be calculated?

  Efficiency = (biomass transferred to the next level/ biomass available at the previous level) * 100
• What is food security?

  Having enough food to feed a population
• How can farming be affected?

  • New pests
  • Pathogens
  • Changes in environment
• How has the fishing industry made fishing more sustainable?

  • Quotas: Limits on the number of fish that can be caught in a certain area
  • Net size: different limits of mesh size of a net depending on what's being fished. Younger fish will be able to slip out
• How can human insulin be made?

  Genetic engineering of bacteria
• What is mycoprotein and how is it produced?

  Mycoprotein is a protein-rich food source made from fungi, specifically a type of filamentous fungus called Fusarium venenatum. It is produced through a fermentation process using a glucose-based medium.
• What are the pros/cons of genetically modified crops?

  Pros: Increased crop yield, resistance to pests and diseases, enhanced nutritional content. Cons: Controversy and whether poverty is the problem, development of herbicide-resistant weeds, concerns about long-term health effects.