Question

summarize the role of matter in ecosystems from this passage.

consider the lettuce in a hamburger. the lettuce is made up of matter because it has mass and takes up space. the matter consists of atoms that join together to form molecules. the compounds it contains include water, sugars, fats, and proteins. the cells in our bodies are made out of the same types of molecules as the cells in the lettuce. this is why we can use the matter in the lettuce for growth and repair.

organisms need to take in matter for basic life processes, such as growth, repair, and cellular respiration. in addition to eating food, organisms take in water from their environment. they also take in gases that are mixed in with air or dissolved in water.

as with energy, only the matter stored in a living thing can be passed on to the next level of a food chain.

Explanation:

1. First, identify that matter (with mass/space, made of atoms/molecules like water, sugars, fats, proteins) forms the structure of all organisms, and shared molecular makeup allows organisms to use consumed matter for growth/repair.
2. Note that organisms take in matter (food, water, gases) to support core life processes (growth, repair, cellular respiration).
3. Finally, recognize that matter stored in living organisms is transferred between levels of a food chain, similar to energy flow.

Answer:

Matter (defined as anything with mass and volume, composed of atoms/molecules including water, sugars, fats, proteins) forms the structure of all ecosystem organisms. Since organisms share this molecular makeup, they can use consumed matter for growth and repair. Organisms take in matter (food, water, environmental gases) to fuel basic life processes like cellular respiration, and only matter stored in living things is passed between food chain levels.