Biology 2483A Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: A Forest, Mealworm, Eric Charnov

• School: Western University
• Department: Biology
• Course: Biology 2483A
• Professor: Hugh Henry

Document Summary

Autotrophs assimilate radiant energy from sunlight (photosynthesis), or from inorganic compounds (chemosynthesis: the energy is converted into chemical energy stored in the bonds of organic molecules. Heterotrophs obtain their energy by consuming organic compounds from other organisms: this energy originated with organic compounds synthetized by autotrophs. Parasites and herbivores consume live hosts, but do not necessarily kill them. Predators capture and consume live prey animals. Mistletoe is a hemiparasite it is photosynthetic, but obtains nutrients, water, and some of its energy from the host plant. Sea slugs have functional chloroplasts that are taken up from the algae that the slug eats: assimilates the chloroplast of algae into its own tissues allowing it to photosynthesize. Photosynthesis - (most autotrophs): sunlight provides the energy to take up co2 and synthesize organic compounds. Chemosynthesis (chemolithotrophy): energy from inorganic compounds is used to produce carbohydrates: chemosynthesis is important in nutrient cycling bacteria, and in some ecosystems such as hydrothermal vent communities.