Metabolism, Trophic Levels, & Energy Flow

• Metabolism - chemical reactions that build or break down molecules in living things
• Photosynthesis Equation: 6 Carbon Dioxide + 6 Water + sunlight = Glucose + 6 Oxygen
• Cellular Respiration Equation: Glucose + Oxygen = 6 Carbon Dioxide + 6 Hydrogen
• Autotroph/Producers = uses sunlight to create energy
• Autotrophs produce all food heterotrophs use
• Heterotroph/Consumer = eats autotrophs to receive energy
• Scavengers/Detritivores = feed on tissue of dead animals
• Decomposer


  an organism that decomposes organic material
• herbivore


  an organism that only eats plants
• omnivore


  an organism that eats both plants and animals
• carnivore


  an organism that eats meat
• Each level of a food chain is called a trophic level
• Producers turn sunlight energy into glucose using the process of photosynthesis
• Energy is lost through the form of heat and sustaining organism's metabolism through the trophic levels
• Only 10% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level
• Apex Predator - The organism on top of the food chain
• Primary Consumer - mainly herbivores, the organism that eats the producers
• Niche - a role an organism plays in an ecosystem
• Trophic Level - the position of an organism within the food web