Which role does photosynthesis

Question

play in the flow of energy?

Photosynthesis allows plants
to create energy for
○ themselves to store and use
for metabolism

Photosynthesis is how plants
○
break down glucose to use for
energy

Photosynthesis provides
radiant energy to all the
organisms in the entire food
chain.

Photosynthesis converts
radiant energy to chemical
energy to be used by
organisms in the food chain,

7. How does the carbon stored in
the bodies of living organisms
move into rocks?

○ through respiration dissolves in
Carbon dioxide released
certain rocks, like limestone

Carbon dioxide dissolves in
ocean water and is slowly
absorbed by rocks in the
ocean.

Living organisms decay,
◦ releasing carbon into the soil,
and soil is compacted into
rocks.

Living organisms decay and
become fossil fuels, which
eventually become rocks.

8. Living organisms can incorporate
into their metabolism.

nitrates

nitrites

ammonia

nitrogen gas

Answer 1

6. Role of Photosynthesis in the Flow of Energy

• Photosynthesis converts radiant energy to chemical energy to be used by organisms in the food chain.

Photosynthesis plays a vital role in the flow of energy within an ecosystem. It is the process through which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert sunlight into chemical energy stored in glucose. This energy then becomes available to other organisms through various food chains.

7. How Carbon Moves from Living Organisms to Rocks

• Living organisms decay and become fossil fuels, which eventually become rocks.

Carbon from living organisms can move into rocks primarily through the process of decomposition. When organisms die, their biomass can eventually transform into fossil fuels (like coal, oil, or gas) over extensive geological timescales. Additionally, other processes like the compaction of organic material can contribute to the formation of sedimentary rocks.

8. Living Organisms Can Incorporate into Their Metabolism

• Nitrates

Living organisms primarily incorporate nitrates (NO₃⁻) into their metabolism. This occurs through the process of nitrification in the nitrogen cycle, where nitrates are used by plants as a nutrient source for growth. Nitrogen gas (N₂) can also be fixed into a usable form by certain bacteria, but the most common form incorporated by plants is nitrates.