Questions and Answers
What is a consumer?
An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms.
What is digestion?
The process that breaks down food into simple materials that an animal's body can use.
What is circulation in biological terms?
The process of moving blood in a large, complicated loop through the body.
Most consumers can make their own food.
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What do consumers use the energy obtained from food for? (Select all that apply)
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What happens during digestion?
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How do consumers store excess food?
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Consumers can digest all parts of their food.
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What happens to waste produced by consumers?
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Humans are classified as consumers.
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What is the flow of energy from the sun to humans?
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What must humans do to obtain energy?
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What is the primary source of energy for almost all ecosystems?
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Study Notes
Consumer Definitions and Roles
- Consumers are organisms that derive energy by consuming other organisms.
- Digestion is the process through which food is broken down into usable materials for energy.
- Circulation is the movement of blood in a loop through the body, facilitating nutrient and energy distribution.
Energy from Food
- Most consumers cannot produce their own food and rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients necessary for growth, movement, and maintenance.
- The digestion process begins with the mouth, continues down the esophagus, and involves the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine for waste elimination.
Food Storage in Consumers
- Consumers store excess energy in two main forms:
- Short-term as sugar in the blood.
- Long-term as fat in body tissues.
- Examples of food storage include:
- Birds use fat reserves during migration.
- Whales rely on blubber for sustenance during long migrations.
- Bears accumulate fat to survive hibernation.
Waste Production and Recycling
- Consumers produce waste because not all ingested material is digestible. Solid wastes are expelled, and gases like carbon dioxide are released during respiration.
- Decomposing organic matter contributes to soil fertility and ecosystem health, recycling nutrients and energy back into the environment.
- All living and once-living materials become part of the ecosystem's air, soil, and water.
Humans as Consumers
- Humans are consumers like other animals, dependent on external food sources for energy.
- The human digestion process breaks down food for energy use, essential for various bodily functions.
- All energy utilized by humans originates from the sun, transferring through a food chain from producers to consumers.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
- Energy flow can be illustrated through a flowchart: the sun → producers (plants) → primary consumers (herbivores) → secondary consumers (carnivores).
- Examples of energy transfer:
- The human consumes a cow, which consumes grass, with the grass obtaining energy from the sun.
- The sun ultimately drives energy production and sustains the food web within ecosystems.
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Description
Explore the critical role of consumers in ecosystems through these informative flashcards. Learn key definitions related to consumer behavior, digestion, and circulation processes necessary for maintaining ecological balance. Perfect for anyone studying ecology or environmental science!
