EFE - How do Organisms Get Energy? Lesson

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How do Organisms Get Energy?

Energy Budget

Ecologist say that energy is the currency of an ecosystem. Ultimately almost all energy comes from the sun – but how does it get from the sun to the cow? 

Energy Currency
Sun - Plants - Animals

Let's take a closer look of how organisms get their energy or their currency for life.

The Trophs

All living things need energy to carry out life functions. Organisms can get energy in different ways and depending on how they get energy they can be put into one of two categories
  1. autotrophs
  2. heterotrophs

Use the presentation below to learn more.

 

Image of hamburger

Consumers must consume food for energy, but they still get their energy indirectly from the sun by eating either a producer or an organism that has eaten a producer. Cellular respiration is used to break down food into usable energy for the cell for life-sustaining activities. Cellular respiration is dependent upon the process of photosynthesis to provide reactants for its chemical reaction.

Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are opposite reactions. Energy from the sun enters a plant and is converted into glucose during photosynthesis. Some of the energy is used to make ATP in the mitochondria during cellular respiration, and some is lost to the environment as heat.

Photosynthesis and Respiration

Watch the video below that explains the relationship between these two chemical processes.

 

After watching the video above, can you answer the following questions?

How do Organisms Get Energy? Challenge

Before You Go, You Need to Know

The following key points are from this explore section of the lesson. You must know the following information before moving to the next lesson. This is just a summary of the key points.

  • Autotroph are producers because they make their own food.
    • Chemoautotrohps
    • Photoautotrophs
  • Heterotrophs are consumers because they need to consume other organisms to obtain energy
    • Herbivores
    • Carnivores
    • Omnivores
    • Decomposers
  • Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are the process by which energy is brought into and used by living organisms. These reactions are opposite and depend on one another.

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