All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Which statement is correct: decomposers get energy directly from the Sun or from organic matter?
Answer: From organic matter (dead organisms and wastes). They consume energy originally captured by producers.
Flashcard 2: Which term describes organisms that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients?
Answer: Decomposers. Bacteria and fungi that return nutrients to soil.
Flashcard 3: Which form of energy is stored in the food that animals eat?
Answer: Chemical energy. Stored in molecular bonds of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Flashcard 4: What do animals do to release energy from food molecules for body functions?
Answer: Cellular respiration. Breaks down glucose to release stored energy.
Flashcard 5: What molecule in plants absorbs light energy during photosynthesis?
Answer: Chlorophyll. Green pigment that captures light for energy conversion.
Flashcard 6: What is the original source of most energy used by animals in food chains?
Answer: The Sun. Solar energy powers photosynthesis, starting all food chains.
Flashcard 7: What process in plants captures sunlight and stores it as chemical energy in sugar?
Answer: Photosynthesis. Converts light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.
Flashcard 8: Which organisms usually form the first trophic level by making their own food?
Answer: Producers (plants and algae). Convert sunlight into food through photosynthesis.
Flashcard 9: What is the term for an animal that eats both plants and animals for energy?
Answer: Omnivore (consumer). Obtains energy from both plant and animal sources.
Flashcard 10: What is the term for a sequence that shows who eats whom and energy transfer?
Answer: Food chain. Linear path showing energy transfer from one organism to another.
Flashcard 11: Identify the original energy source in this chain: grass → rabbit → fox.
Answer: The Sun. Grass captures sunlight, starting this energy transfer.
Flashcard 12: Identify the producer in this chain: algae → tadpole → fish.
Answer: Algae. Photosynthetic organism that converts sunlight to food.
Flashcard 13: What is a food web?
Answer: Connected food chains showing multiple feeding relationships. Shows complex energy pathways in ecosystems.
Flashcard 14: Identify the primary consumer in this chain: corn → mouse → owl.
Answer: Mouse. Eats the producer (corn) directly.
Flashcard 15: Which organism gets energy most directly from sunlight: hawk, grass, snake, or rabbit?
Answer: Grass. Only producers capture sunlight directly through photosynthesis.
Flashcard 16: Which direction does energy flow in a food chain: from consumers to producers or producers to consumers?
Answer: From producers to consumers. Energy flows one-way up the trophic levels.
Flashcard 17: Choose the correct arrow direction for energy flow: Sun → plant → deer or deer → plant → Sun?
Answer: Sun → plant → deer. Energy flows from source to producers to consumers.
Flashcard 18: What is the term for an animal that gets energy by eating both plants and animals?
Answer: Omnivore (consumer). These animals have varied diets including both sources.
Flashcard 19: What is the term for a network of connected food chains showing many feeding relationships?
Answer: Food web. Shows complex interconnected feeding relationships.
Flashcard 20: What is the term for a diagram that shows energy flow by who eats whom in an ecosystem?
Answer: Food chain. Shows linear energy transfer between organisms.
Flashcard 21: What form of energy do plants store in food after photosynthesis?
Answer: Chemical energy. Glucose and other molecules store energy from sunlight.
Flashcard 22: Identify the primary consumer in this chain: Sun → grass → rabbit → fox.
Answer: Rabbit. It eats plants directly, making it first-level consumer.
Flashcard 23: Identify the producer in this chain: Sun → algae → fish → seal.
Answer: Algae. Algae performs photosynthesis like plants do.
Flashcard 24: Which statement is correct: decomposers create energy or decomposers obtain energy from dead matter?
Answer: Decomposers obtain energy from dead matter. They extract energy from dead organic material.
Flashcard 25: What is the term for organisms that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients in ecosystems?
Answer: Decomposers. They recycle nutrients by breaking down dead organisms.
Flashcard 26: Which option is the correct order of energy flow: consumer → producer or producer → consumer?
Answer: Producer → consumer. Energy flows from plants to animals, not reverse.
Flashcard 27: Identify the correct energy path for a hawk that ate a snake that ate a mouse that ate grass.
Answer: Sun → grass → mouse → snake → hawk. Energy flows from producers up through consumers.
Flashcard 28: Which statement best connects an animal’s energy to the Sun: animal eats plant, plant uses sunlight?
Answer: The animal’s energy originally came from sunlight captured by the plant. Energy flows from Sun to plant to animal.
Flashcard 29: What is the role of a consumer in an ecosystem?
Answer: It obtains energy by eating other organisms. Consumers cannot produce their own food like plants.
Flashcard 30: What is the term for an animal that gets energy by eating other animals?
Answer: Carnivore (consumer). These animals obtain energy by consuming other animals.