The energy cycle and

energy pyramids

Nour Shagruni, Viola Banyai, Jan Abgarowicz

Methods of Nutrition
After entering the food chain, inorganic nutrients are
converted into organic molecules and stored in the
tissue of organisms.
As the supply of inorganic nutrients is limited, it is
crucial that they are released once the organisms die.
Decomposition is the process of breaking down the
bodies of dead organisms, this process enables nutrient
cycling 
Detritivores begin decomposition by breaking apart
tissue
Saprotrophs release enzymes to break down the organic
molecules in the tissue
What is left in the soil is accessible to the producers
Nutrient Cycling
Autotrophs produces its own organic molecules from simple inorganic
substances in the environment (eg: by photosynthesis), this is why they are also
known as producers. 

Heterotrophs get their organic molecules by ingesting other organisms. There are
multiple types of heterotrophs such as consumers, detritivores and saprotrophs. 

Consumers gain organic molecules by ingesting their tissue (herbivores and

carnivores)

Detritivores gain organic molecules by ingesting their tissue or animal waste,

digest food by internal digestion (earthworms, woodlice, dung beetles)

Saprotrophs ingest tissue of dead organisms and waste material, secrete

enzymes onto their food to digest it externally (fungi and bacteria)

Mixotrophs are organisms that are able to use more than one type of nutrition
(eg: euglena, a single celled eukaryotic organism)

Euglena can take in bacterial cells by endocytosis

Contain light-sensitive spot, the stigma, that can absorb light

Food chain
The sun is the initial source for most food chains 
Light is converted by producers into chemical energy
Photosynthesis
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy which is used to power production of
organic molecules such as glucose, lipids and amino acids   
Chemical energy ends up stored in the tissue of the plants
Chemical energy is passed to primary consumers via feeding 
These consumers absorb the carbon compounds  
Primary consumers to secondary etc 
When organism dies the carbon compounds passes to detritivores and
saprotrophs
The chemical energy can be released by respiration 
The organic compound glucose fuels respiration (lipids can be
converted into glucose) 
The energy released is used to carry out functions of life 
 Energy Loss
- Energy

Not all chemical energy is transferred to the consumers

The entire organism is not eaten 
- Energy Not all the food is digested so some is egested as feces
Energy is lost to the environment due to respiration
Energy is converted to heat 
Energy is lost to the environment when organism
excrete 
- Energy The remaining energy is used in biomass 
Because only a portion of energy is available to the
organism, it needs to consume large amount of biomass
to gain enough energy to survive 
 Energy Pyramids
Not all chemical energy is transferred to the consumers
(10%)
Energy pyramids, are graphical representations of the
flow
The of energy
entire through
organism isa food
not chain
eaten  in an ecosystem.
They are used to illustrate the relative amount of energy
transferred from one trophic level to the next within a
Not
foodall the food is ingested so some is egested as feces
chain. 
Energy is lost to the environment due to respiration 
Each layer of the pyramid represents a decreasing
amount of available energy, as much of the energy is
Energy
lost as itisislost to the environment
transferred when
from one trophic levelorganism
to the excre
next.
The remaining energy is used in biomass 
 As the number of trophic levels increases, the
Because only
population 10%
size of energy
of species is up
higher available to the
in the food organis
chain
need to consume
decreases largewith
accordingly amount of biomass to gain enou
their energy. 
energy to survive 
Because  biomass can consume 
Questions
1. Another term for producers is…
2. What organisms that get their nutrients by ingesting other organisms?
3. What are the 3 types of heterotrophs?
4. What is an example of a mixotroph?
5. What is the initial source for most food chains?
6. How is light converted into chemical energy?
7. How is chemical energy passes along the food chain?
Questions

1. Another term for producers is… Autotroph

2. What organisms that get their nutrients by ingesting other organisms? Heterotrophs
3. What are the 3 types of heterotrophs? Consumer, Detritivores Saprotrophs
4. What is an example of a mixotroph? Euglena
5. What is the initial source for most food chains? The Sun
6. How is light converted into chemical energy? Photosynthesis 
7. How is chemical energy passes along the food chain? Feeding
 Questions

1. What percentage of chemical energy is transferred ?

2. What are some examples of how energy is lost?
3. Energy pyramids depict the flow of …. from one
trophic level to the next?
4. Using this pyramid evaluate which species has the
smallest population
5. If producers possessed 25 000 J of energy, what
would be the estimated energy amongst secondary
consumers 
Questions
1. What percentage of chemical energy is transferred ?
10%
2. What are some examples of how energy is lost?
Respiration, egestion, organism is not entirely eaten 
3. Energy pyramids depict the flow of … from one level
to the next - Energy
4. Using this pyramid evaluate which species has the
smallest population - Wolves
5. If producers possessed 25 000 J of energy, what would
be the estimated energy amongst secondary consumers
- 250 J 
 Thank You for Your attention
Thank You for your attention