BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS plants, micro-species and other forms of life

require different temperatures for their survival;

It was mentioned in the previous section they need the right temperature that will fit their
that there are two factors that may influence the body in order to survive. Hence, temperature is
existence of life on the biosphere, i.e., biotic and important for the survival of species.
abiotic. The biotic factors include all living things
in an ecosystem, e.g., plants, animals, and Basically, most organisms that live on
microorganisms. Biotic factors are the producers, earth need sunlight. Sunlight is the light emitted
consumers and decomposers, while the abiotic by the sun. Sunlight plays an important role in the
factors include physical conditions and chemical photosynthesis- a chemical reaction that occurs in
characteristics in which all life forms depend on. plants by the reaction of Water (H2O) and Carbon
The atmosphere, i.e., air, soil, temperature and Dioxide (CO2) with the presence of sunlight to
availability of sunlight are examples of physical produce sugar, oxygen gas molecules and
conditions, while water and inorganic compounds Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). sunlight is
that help the organisms to perform its function are important to humans by synthesizing Vitamin B -
examples of chemical characteristics. a vital vitamin needed by humans for maintaining
good health and survival. Since sunlight is
Atmosphere (air) is a mixture of gases essential to most organisms, sunlight conservation
that surrounds the planet Earth and other plants in by the organisms is necessary. Thus, sunlight is a
the universe. Gas is a substance that has an significant abiotic factor that maintains the
indefinite shape and an indefinite volume at sustainability of life on earth.
ordinary temperature and this substance expands
infinitely (e.g. air). as shown in table 2.1, the most Water and inorganic compounds are
abundant gas in the earth’s atmosphere is nitrogen other kinds of abiotic factors, and they help the
while oxygen is found to be second to the highest. organisms to survive by chemical metabolisms, i.e.,
catabolism - breaking of molecules into simpler
compounds or atoms, and anabolism - sythesis of
Substance Chemical Percent % complex molecules from simple molecules or
Symbol compounds. Water consists of two atoms of
Nitrogen N 78 hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. The water
Oxygen O 21 molecule is needed by the species on earth as it
plays a vital role in chemical metabolism. It was
Carbon CO2 Trace
mentioned that water is one of the raw materials in
dioxide
photosynthesis. Humans need eight (8) glasses of
Helium He Trace
water to maintain the normal body temperature
Neon Ne Trace
and sustain all catabolic and anabolic reactions in
their body. Inorganic compounds like minerals
take part in the metabolism of most organisms on
Soil is the top portion of the land and earth. Since water and inorganic compounds are
consists of a combination of decayed organisms essential in the existence of life, conservation of
and formed breakdown of rocks. Soil contains water and inorganic compounds on earth is
elements like potassium (K), phosphorus (P) and important. Hence, water and inorganic compounds
magnesium (Mg). these elements are important to are important abiotic factors.
the growth and development of plants, and they
help the plants to produce oxygen.

Temperature refers to the degree of

hotness and coldness of the body. The temperature
of the biosphere varies and the existence of living
things depends on it. Temperature is important in
the survival of humans, animals, plants, micro-
species and other forms of life on earth. Some
places on earth exhibit cold environment, i.e.,
United States of America (USA), Russia, Germany
and Australia; humans living in those areas need
thick clothing in order to resist the impact of cold
temperature on their body. Since the temperature
in different parts of the biosphere varies, animals,
 decaying organisms. Decomposers are known as
detritivores and scavengers; they obtain nutrients
from consuming detritus, i.e., decomposing plants
and dead bodies of animals as well as feces. Since
food chains show feeding relationship of
organisms, food chains are essential to the
existence of life on earth. Hence, sustainable food
chain is important.

FOOD WEB

Food web refers to a multiple connection

of food chains and also follows multiple paths, see
figure 2.3. This shows the relationships of
different species in an ecosystem. The food web
plays an important role in order to maintain the
balance of the ecosystem. The food web is a
2.3. FOOD CHAIN, FOOD WEB AND complex structure that provides the essential
ENERGY elements to this planet. As shown in figure 2.3,
producers are corn, a flowering plant, lavenders
In ecology, food chain is an arrangement and mangoes. They produce sugar by means of
of the organisms according to the order predation. photosynthesis that requires water, carbon dioxide
Food chains show the feeding relationship of one and sunlight. For the primary consumers, i.e.,
organism to another, and show how each specie grasshoppers, butterflies, and fruit flies, these
gets food and how nutrients and energy are passed organisms consume the corn, a flowering plant and
from an organism to other organisms. Food chains mangoes, respectively. The secondary consumers
consist of producers, consumers, and decomposers. include rats, frogs, dragonflies, and thrushes. The
Producers are organisms that make their own tertiary consumers are wolves and pythons. Eagles
food using energy from the sun or they are better are considered as the quartenary consumer.
known as autotrophs. Some examples of producers’
organisms are green plants and grasses; they can
manufacture their own food by means of
photosynthesis. Consumers are organisms that
receive energy by consuming other organisms and
they are also called heterotrophs. The consumers
are classified into three groups; (1) primary; (2)
secondary; and (3) tertiary. Primary consumers
are herbivores and they feed on plants and fungus.
Grasshoppers are examples of primary consumers;
they consume leaves and grasses as their food. In
the food chain, the primary consumers receive
more energy than the secondary and tertiary
consumers and they play an important role as they
becoe food in the eyes of the secondary and
tertiary consumers. Secondary consumers are
mainly carnivores, and prey on other animals.
Rabbits and rats are examples of secondary
consumers. Tertiary consumers are also known
as apex predators, and they are always on top of
food chains. Tertiary consumers are capable of
feeding on secondary consumers and primary The food web is vital in balancing the
consumers; they are either carnivores or ecosystem and this inter-connection among living
omnivores. Eagles and tigers are examples of organisms usually provides the chemical balance
quartenary consumers, see figure 2.2. Quartenary of nature. Chemical balance is an important aspect
consumers are fully carnivores. Decomposers are in the life of this planet. The producers in the food
organisms that decompose or break down dead or web, i.e., corn, flowering plant and mangoes,
release oxygen gas molecules to the atmosphere As shown in figure 2.4., Autotrophs or
and those molecules are used by humans, while the producers, i.e., plant, convert light energy into
decomposers produce nitrogen gas molecules, and chemical energy or photosynthesis. All plants and
this gas is consumed by plants. Within this context, some micro-species like algae and blue-green
the food web is vital to the existence of life on bacteria are also autotrophs. These micro-species
earth. can manufacture their own food by the use of
inorganic compounds instead of sunlight and this
reaction is known chemosynthesis. It is an
ENERGY FLOW accepted reality that oxygen gas molecules in the
biosphere are produced by algae and blue-green
The energy flow in a tropic level equals to bacteria.
the digestion at that level which in turn equals the
production of biomass plus respiration.

Energy Flow = Digested Organism

(Production of Biomass + Respiration)

PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION

Photosynthesis is the process of making

food by plants. Plants are better known as
autotrophs, and they utilize energy directly from
the sun and store it in organic compounds called
glucose. See chemical equation below,

6CO2 + 6H2O + energy → 6O2 + C6H12O6

(Chemical Equation)

In photosynthesis, carbon dioxide (CO2)

and water are the raw materials while the by-
products are oxygen (O2) and glucose (C6H12O6).
This reaction shows addition of carbon dioxide to
water (H2O), i.e., absorbed by plants, with the aid
of sunlight to produce two important molecules,
i.e., O2 and C6H12O6. The oxygen gas is released to
the atmosphere while the glucose remains in plants.
Since carbon dioxide and water are essential
molecules to photosynthesis, the plants in the
biosphere need water to sustain the photosynthesis.
Hence, watering the plants help them to produce
more oxygen gas and glucose molecules.