Question

How are plants, animals and decomposers different at the atomic molecular scale

Answer 1

Plants, animals, and decomposers differ at the molecular level in the types of organic compounds they create and their ecosystem roles. Decomposers are crucial for recycling nutrients by breaking down organic matter into simpler molecules.

Step-by-step explanation:

Plants, animals, and decomposers differ at the atomic molecular scale primarily in the types of molecules they synthesize and their role in the ecosystem. All living things are made of matter, which is composed of elements, and these elements, such as carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N), combine in various ways to form molecules. Plants, as producers, synthesize complex organic compounds like carbohydrates and proteins through photosynthesis using solar energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Animals are consumers that obtain energy by eating plants or other organisms, breaking down the ingested organic molecules through metabolism to support their bodily functions. On the other hand, decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, play an essential role in ecosystems by breaking down dead organisms and organic wastes, including those from plants and animals, into simpler inorganic molecules like ammonia. This process of decay recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem, ensuring the availability of essential elements for other living organisms.

Furthermore, the levels of organization of living things, from atoms to molecules and up to multicellular structures, showcase the complex structure of life. While plants, animals, and decomposers all share this basic organizational hierarchy, it is their unique molecular composition and the specific ways they interact with their environment at the molecular level that distinguish them from each other.

Answer 2

Answer: Food chain can be defined as an order of transfer of energy in the form of food among organisms at different trophic levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

The plants, animals and decomposers are components of the food chain. The biomass in plants and animals after their death or death of any part of them get converted into simpler molecules by the action of the decomposers.

Decomposers break down the complex organic molecules into simple molecules and further break them to atomic levels, which can again absorbed by the plants through soil.