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Intuitively the answer is a chemical reaction. This is true to an extent as outlined below.
Food is essentially organic (carbon based) compounds. So they have carbon, and usually hydrogen components, (others as well but for a general case we can just consider the hydrogen and carbon.) Through chewing and enzymes in the stomach and saliva to food is broken down into a sloppy mess of molecules which can be absorbed into the stomach lining. Up till now no energy has been produced, enzymes work as essentially catalysts, providing sites for reactions. Once the molecules are absorbed they travel via the blood to cells which contain mitochondria these are organelles (you can think of an organelle as an organ of a cell). The mitochondria absorb the molecule and together with oxygen from the lungs and react producing carbon dioxide and water. The products have a lower 'free energy' than the reactants. This means the products are more stable than the reactants, and energy is released in the reaction. (see Gibb's free energy in thermodynamics for more on this). This is aerobic respiration, in anaerobic respiration the organic molecules react with another molecule, (not oxygen) for example sulphur.
Jack K.
What else can I help you with?
Explain how energy is transferred through a food chain?
Energy is transferred through a food chain as organisms consume other organisms. Primary producers, like plants, absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Herbivores then consume plants, transferring the energy. Carnivores further transfer the energy by consuming herbivores. This process continues up the food chain, with each level of organisms consuming the energy stored in the organisms they consume.
Does chemical energy travel from the Sun to the Earth and get transformed into light energy by plants?
Yes, the Sun emits light energy in the form of photons. Plants use the process of photosynthesis to capture these photons and convert them into chemical energy in the form of glucose. This chemical energy is stored in the plants and can be transferred through the food chain to other organisms.
How do matter and energy interact in the food web?
In a food web, matter and energy are transferred between organisms as they consume and are consumed by each other. Producers (plants) convert energy from the sun into food through photosynthesis, which is then consumed by herbivores. Carnivores eat herbivores, transferring energy up the food chain. Organisms use this energy for growth, reproduction, and other life processes, while matter is recycled as organisms die and decompose, returning nutrients to the ecosystem.
What happens to the chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things as they pass through a food web A. All of their energy is dissipated as heat. B. They are not transferred at all. C. T?
C. They are transferred between organisms as they move through the food web, with some being incorporated into the bodies of consumers to build and maintain their own biological structures, and others being released back into the environment through waste or decomposition processes.
What drives energy flow in chemical cycling on earth?
Energy flow in chemical cycling on Earth is driven by sunlight. Solar energy is captured by plants during photosynthesis and is then transferred through the food chain to other organisms. Microorganisms also play a key role in breaking down organic matter and releasing energy through processes like decomposition.
What is transeferred from producers to consumers and decomposers through food chains?
Energy is transferred in a food chain. It starts with plants absorbing energy from the sun. It is then transferred up through the food chain by animals that eat plants which are, in turn, eaten by carnivore's.
How is energy transferred in the biosphere?
Energy in the biosphere is transferred through food chains and food webs. Producers, such as plants, capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis. This energy is then passed on to consumers as they eat other organisms.
How does a food chain and a food web show the flow of energy through an ecosystem?
A food chain shows a linear sequence of organisms where energy is transferred through consumption. For example, grass is eaten by a rabbit, which is then eaten by a fox. A food web is a network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, showing multiple pathways for energy flow. This complex model more accurately represents the interconnected nature of ecosystems and the various interactions between organisms.
How is energy transferred through a community of organisms?
Energy is transferred through a community of organisms through trophic levels in a food chain or food web. Producers (plants) convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis, which is then consumed by herbivores, followed by carnivores and so on. As organisms eat each other, energy is transferred from one organism to another along the food chain.
What is transferred from plants to animals through the food chain?
Energy
What is an example of energy being transferred?
When sunlight hits the surface of the Earth, some of the energy is transferred to plants through photosynthesis. This energy is then passed on to animals that eat the plants for food, and so the energy is transferred through the food chain.
How is energy transferred from one living things to another?
there are many diffrent ways that energy can be transfered from one thing to another. but when i thisk of this topic, i think of a food chain or a food web. in a food chain or food web, it shows where the energy is going, therefore, shows who is getting eaten by what.
What is passed along a food chain?
Energy and nutrients are passed along a food chain as organisms consume one another. Producers, such as plants, convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, which is then consumed by primary consumers, such as herbivores. The energy is transferred up the chain as consumers are eaten by predators.
How does energy flows through a food web?
Energy flows through a food web as organisms consume other organisms for energy. Producers (plants) convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis, which is then consumed by primary consumers (herbivores). The energy is transferred up the food chain as consumers are eaten by larger consumers, with energy being lost as heat at each trophic level.
How is energy transferred through a food chain?
10% or the energy of THE SUN is transferred. 1 tertiary consumers 10 secondary consumers 100 primary consumers 1000 producers 10000 sun
If energy and matter cannot be destroyed ehat happens to energy and matter when an organism is eaten?
When an organism is eaten, the energy and matter contained in its body are transferred to the organism that consumes it. The energy is used for various metabolic processes to fuel the organism's activities, while the matter is broken down and incorporated into the consumer's own body for growth and repair. In this way, the energy and matter are not destroyed, but are rather transferred and recycled through the food chain.
What form of energy is Energy being released from food after it is eaten?
The energy released from food after it is eaten is in the form of chemical energy. This energy comes from the breaking down of molecules in food through digestion, which releases stored energy that the body can then use for various functions.
