BIO.2 d - Photosynthesis & Respiration

The student will investigate and understand the chemical and biochemical principles essential
for life. Key concepts include
d) the capture, storage, transformation, and flow of energy through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration.

Bloom's Levels:  Analyze; Understand

• Living organisms acquire the energy they need for life processes through various metabolic pathways (photosynthesis and cellular respiration).
  

• I can choose a location and layout of a greenhouse for the school.
  

• Ecosystems demonstrate an exchange of energy and nutrients among inhabiting organisms. 
  
• An ecosystem consists of all the interacting species and the abiotic environment in a given geographic area. All matter including essential nutrients cycle through an ecosystem. The most common examples of such matter and nutrients include carbon, nitrogen, and water. 
  
• Energy flows in an ecosystem from producers to various levels of consumers and decomposers. This flow of energy can be diagramed using a food chain or food web. The efficiency of this flow of energy is represented by an energy pyramid. 
  
• As the human population increases, so does human impact on the environment. Human activities, such as reducing the amount of forest cover, increasing the amount and variety of chemicals released into the environment, and intensive farming, have changed Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere. Some of these changes have decreased the capacity of the environment to support some life forms. 
  

In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

d) recognize the equations for photosynthesis and respiration and identify the reactants and products.

     describe the role of ATP in the storage and release of chemical energy in the cell.

     explain the interrelatedness of photosynthesis and cell respiration.

a-d)  explain how light is the initial source of energy for most communities.

ecology, biosphere, species, population, community, ecosystem, biome, autotroph, producer, photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, heterotroph, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, detritvore, decomposer, food chain, food web, trophic level, ecological pyramid, biomass, biogeochemical cycle, evaporation, transpiration, nutrient, nitrogen fixation, denitrification, primary productivity, limiting nutrient, algal bloom