Skip to main content

Name the three energy roles of organisms in an ecosystem. How does each type of organism obtain energy?

I believe the types of organism classifications you are looking for are producers, consumers, and decomposers.


Producers are autotrophs such as plants, and some types of protists. These are the organisms that are capable of taking the light energy of the sun and transforming/storing it as chemical energy in the form of sugars. That is, they perform photosynthesis (carbon dioxide + water ---> sugars and oxygen). Without this group, the rest of the living things...

I believe the types of organism classifications you are looking for are producers, consumers, and decomposers.


Producers are autotrophs such as plants, and some types of protists. These are the organisms that are capable of taking the light energy of the sun and transforming/storing it as chemical energy in the form of sugars. That is, they perform photosynthesis (carbon dioxide + water ---> sugars and oxygen). Without this group, the rest of the living things on earth would quickly die out. There are some producers that are chemotrophs--these utilize the energy from geothermal features such as the vents in the deep ocean.


Consumers are heterotrophs--organisms such as animals and some protists, that consume the stored energy from plants or from other animals. Even if total carnivores (animals that only eat other animals) they are still dependent, ultimately, on producers, as their prey eat the producers.


Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria also utilize the energy contained in dead plant and animal matter. They are not classified as consumers, however, as they do not "eat" the organic matter; instead, they chemically alter the dead matter and absorb the energy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more