Concept explainers
To review:
The reason for the continuous uptake of energy by the biosphere from outside and the reason behind the non-recycling of energy among the organisms.
Introduction:
Different species present in the biosphere, either microorganisms or human beings require energy in order to perform various functions. There is a range of sources of energy in the environment. It may be obtained from chemical compounds or light. Energy from various sources is utilized for survival, cellular function, and growth.
Explanation of Solution
Sun is the basic source of energy on Earth. Some portion of the energy from the Sun is absorbed by microorganisms and also all by the photosynthetic plants. The consumers and decomposers consume the biomass produced by these photosynthetic plants. There are few bacteria that utilize ultraviolet and near-infrared radiation from the Sun to perform photosynthesis.
There is a loss of heat in the environment after every step of synthesis by the plants. This heat is a by-product of energy produced during the reaction. The energy is completely exhausted or remains in trace amounts after multiple steps. Due to this exhaustion of energy at successive steps, the energy cannot be recycled. Hence, in the biosphere, the energy cannot be recycled among organisms and there is a requirement of continuous uptake of energy from an external source like the Sun.
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Chapter 13 Solutions
Microbiology: An Evolving Science (Fourth Edition)
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Also unlike fossil fuels, biofuels do not contribute to global climate change, because growing plant matter for fuel recycles carbon that is already in the atmosphere. Corn, soy, sugarcane, and other food crops are rich in oils, starches, and sugars that can be easily converted to biofuels. The starch in corn kernels, for example, can be enzymatically broken down to glucose, which is fermented to ethanol by bacteria or yeast. However, growing food crops for biofuel production typically requires a lot of energy (in the form of fossil fuels) and it damages the environment. Making biofuels from other plant matter such as weeds or agricultural waste requires additional steps, because these materials contain a higher proportion of cellulose. Breaking down this tough carbohydrate to its glucose monomers adds cost to the biofuel product. In 2006, David Tilman and his colleagues published the results of a 10-year study comparing the net energy output of various biofuels. The researchers made biofuel from a mixture of native perennial grasses grown without irrigation, fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides, in sandy soil that was so depleted by intensive agriculture that it had been abandoned. The energy content of this biofuel and the energy it took to produce it were measured and compared with that of biofuels made from food crops (Figure 5.16). The production of which biofuel was most efficient (which had the highest ratio of energy output to energy input)?arrow_forward
- Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (Mi...BiologyISBN:9781305117396Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa StarrPublisher:Cengage Learning