Biosphere and Energy Flow

Components of the Biosphere

• The biosphere includes all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.
• Terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, and atmosphere are components of the biosphere.
• Non-living things, such as rocks or man-made structures, are NOT considered components of the biosphere.

Energy Sources in the Biosphere

• The primary source of energy for the biosphere is solar energy from the sun.
• Producers, such as plants, capture solar energy through photosynthesis.

Organisms and Energy Production

• Chemosynthetic organisms can produce energy from chemical sources, utilizing inorganic compounds.
• These organisms often thrive in extreme environments, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

Food Chain Dynamics

• The term for the top predator in a food chain, with no natural predators, is "apex predator."
• Apex predators play a vital role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems.

Categories of Living Organisms

• Autotrophs are living things that obtain energy directly from the sun or via organic sources.
• Heterotrophs are organisms that rely on consuming other organisms for energy.

Photosynthesis Process

• The process by which solar energy is captured by producers is called "photosynthesis."
• This process converts sunlight into chemical energy stored in glucose.

Energy Acquisition in Living Things

• Chemotrophs obtain energy from chemical sources, unlike phototrophs that rely on light.
• The classification of living organisms based on how they acquire energy falls under "trophic levels."