Question
when a consumer eats a producer, 10 percent of the producers energy is passed on to the consumer trophic level. what happens to the other 90 percent?
a it is used by the producer to pass on to the next trophic level
b it is used for cell processes or released as heat
c it is consumed and used by the consumer
d it is added back to the soil by decomposers
a it is used by the producer to pass on to the next trophic level
b it is used for cell processes or released as heat
c it is consumed and used by the consumer
d it is added back to the soil by decomposers
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is **b: it is used for cell processes or released as heat**.
In an ecosystem, when energy is transferred from one trophic level to another, such as from producers to consumers, a significant portion (typically around 90%) of that energy is utilized by the organism for metabolic processes, growth, reproduction, and other cellular activities. Much of this energy is also lost as heat due to the inefficiencies inherent in energy transfer. Only about 10% of the energy is typically passed on to the next trophic level.
In an ecosystem, when energy is transferred from one trophic level to another, such as from producers to consumers, a significant portion (typically around 90%) of that energy is utilized by the organism for metabolic processes, growth, reproduction, and other cellular activities. Much of this energy is also lost as heat due to the inefficiencies inherent in energy transfer. Only about 10% of the energy is typically passed on to the next trophic level.