BIOLOGY 2F03 Lecture Notes - Optimal Foraging Theory, C4 Carbon Fixation, C3 Carbon Fixation
Document Summary
Energy and nutrients sources of energy: light, organic and inorganic molecules rate of energy acquisition is limited. Optimal foraging theory helps explain choice and location of food items. How on earth life is being fed. Heterotrophic: uses organic matter, bacteria, protest, plants, fungi, animals. Photosynthetic: uses light, bacteria, protest, plants, animals. What is the message here: plant and protest seem to be doing more photosynthetic acquisition of energy and are at the foundation. What is par: photosyntectically active radiation, energy that arrives on earth which pigments can use to convert to organic matter, measured by photon flux, the number of photons striking 1m2/second. ) Visible light (400-700 nanometers) carries ~45% of solar energy at sea level. Many animals use symbiotic algae in there tissues to absorb energy, photosynthesize. C4 plants use lower concentration of co2: Can afford to open stomata less than c3 plants. Cam plants combine day and night phases with c3 pathway very efficient water use.
