Producers, photosynthesis and consumers
I can explain why the survival of consumers depends upon photosynthesis in producers.
Producers, photosynthesis and consumers
I can explain why the survival of consumers depends upon photosynthesis in producers.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Producers use photosynthesis to make their own food in the form of glucose (a simple carbohydrate).
- Consumers can only get food by eating producers or other consumers; producers are the source of food for food chains.
- Consumers cannot use carbon and nitrogen from the environment to make biomass; they get them by eating producers.
- Producers and consumers use the carbohydrate from photosynthesis to make biomass for growth and as fuel for respiration.
- Consumers also depend upon producers to add oxygen to the atmosphere, which they use for aerobic cellular respiration.
Common misconception
It is a common misconception that consumers (including humans) could survive without producers.
The dependence of consumers on photosynthesis in producers in explored in depth.
Keywords
Producer - an organism that makes its own food
Photosynthesis - the process used by producers to make their own food via a series of chemical reactions
Biomass - the mass of biological material in one or more organisms
Cellular respiration - a chemical process that transfers energy for life processes, using glucose as a fuel
Consumer - an organism that eats other organisms for food
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
process used by producers to make their own food
all the biological material that makes up an organism
process that transfers energy for life processes using glucose as fuel
