NC 2009 Science Essential Standards (Next Generation of Science Standards Framework, Public Comment Draft – July 12-August 2, 2010)
FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
Biology
Bio.2.2.1 Infer how human activities
(including population growth, pollution,
global warming, burning of fossil fuels,
habitat destruction and introduction of
nonnative species) may impact the
environment. Carbon Cycling
Bio.2.1.1 Analyze the flow of energy and
cycling of matter, such as water, carbon,
nitrogen and oxygen, through ecosystems
relating the significance of each to
maintaining the health and sustainability of
an ecosystem. 5E/3
What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and transform matter and
energy so they can live and grow?
As matter and energy flow through different levels of organization of living systems –
cells, organs, organisms, communities – chemical elements are recombined in different
ways to form different products. During these chemical reactions energy is transferred
from one system of interacting molecules to another. Some of the energy in these
reactions is transferred to the
environment as thermal energy (heat). Matter and energy are conserved in each
change. Through photosynthesis, plants take energy from light to form sugar
molecules (high energy level) containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from lower
energy molecules. These sugar molecules can be used to make amino acids and other
carbon-containing molecules and assembled into larger molecules with biological
activity.
Energy is transferred when the bonds of food molecules are broken and new
compounds with lower energy are formed. Some of the energy is used to change ADP,
an inorganic phosphate (low energy), into ATP, an energy carrier that functions in a
variety of pathways.
What limits the interaction of organisms in ecosystems?
Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers and types of
organisms and populations an ecosystem can support. These limits are a result of such
factors as availability of biotic and abiotic resources, and biotic
challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms have the capacity to
produce populations of great size, but environments and resources are finite. This
fundamental tension has effects on the interactions between
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and
cellular respiration in terms of how
energy is stored, released, and
transferred within and between these
processes in the cell. 4C/1
Bio.4.1.1 Compare the structures and
functions of the major biological molecules
(carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic
acids) as related to the survival of living
organisms.4E/4
How do matter and energy flow through an ecosystem?
All living systems require an input of energy to drive the chemical
reactions in life functions and to compensate for the inefficient transfer of
energy. The chemical reactions in living systems involve the transfer of thermal
energy (heat) to the environment. The thermal energy is no longer available
to drive chemical reactions; therefore, a continuous source of energy is
needed – the Sun. In many organisms, the energy that keeps the chemical reactions in
organisms going comes from the food that reacts with oxygen. The energy
stored in that food ultimately comes from the Sun. Some organisms utilize the energy
transferred from the Sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into molecules in which
carbon atoms are linked together and oxygen is released. The chemical elements that
make up the molecules of organisms pass through food webs and are combined and
recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, some energy is stored in
newly made structures.
As matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of organization
of living systems, and between living systems and the physical
environment, matter and energy are conserved in each change.
NC 2009 Science Essential Standards (Next Generation of Science Standards Framework, Public Comment Draft – July 12-August 2, 2010)
6-8
FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
To Biology
8.L.3.3 Explain how the flow of
energy within food webs is
interconnected with the cycling of
matter (including water, nitrogen,
carbon dioxide and oxygen). 5E/3
8.L.5.2 Explain the relationship among a
healthy diet, exercise, and the general
health of the body (emphasis on the
relationship between respiration and
digestion). 5E/3 (Energy in living things)
To Biology
8.L.5.1 Summarize how food provides
the energy and the molecules required
for building materials, growth and
survival of all organisms (to include
plants). 5E/1
7.L.2.3 Summarize the general functions of the
major systems of the human body (digestion,
respiration, reproduction, circulation, and
excretion) and ways that these systems interact
with each other to sustain life. 5C/2a,b, 5C3a,b
6.L.2.1 Summarize how energy derived
from the sun is used by plants to produce
sugars (photosynthesis) and is
transferred within food chains and food
webs (terrestrial and aquatic) from
producers to consumers to decomposers.
5E/3 (Energy in living things)
6.L.1.2 Explain the significance of the
processes of photosynthesis, respiration,
and transpiration to the survival of green
plants and other organisms.
5A/1 (Plants making food)
What happens inside organisms to enable them to get and use the energy and materials
from food?
For the body to use food for energy and building materials, the food must first be digested into
molecules that are absorbed and transported to cells. In order to release the energy stored in food,
oxygen must be supplied to cells and carbon dioxide removed.
Lungs take in oxygen for the combustion of food, and they eliminate the carbon dioxide produced.
The circulatory system moves all these substances to or from cells where they are needed or
produced. The way in which all cells function is similar in all living organisms. Within cells many of
the basic functions of organisms, such as releasing energy from food and getting rid of waste, are
carried out by different cell elements. In plants and animals, molecules from food react with oxygen
to provide energy that is needed to carry out life functions, build and become incorporated
into the body structure, or is stored for later use. Matter moves within individual organisms through
a series of chemical reactions in which food is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules.
Plants use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide and water. This process
transforms light energy from the sun into stored chemical energy. Minerals and other nutrients from
the soil are not food (they don’t provide energy), but they are needed for plants to make complex
molecules from the sugar they make.
How do different organisms interact and depend on their ecosystem?
Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their interactions with other living things
(biotic) and their interactions with non-living (abiotic) factors in the environment, which together
make up its ecosystem. In any environment, organisms and populations with similar requirements
for food, water, air, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources. The
growth and reproduction of an organism and of populations will be constrained by access to these
limited resources. Organisms and populations in any environment interact in characteristic ways.
Although the particular species of organisms vary in different ecosystems, the same types of
interactions are found. The interactions between organisms in a given environment may be
competitive or mutually beneficial. Competitive interactions may reduce the number of organisms or
eliminate populations of organisms. Mutually beneficial interactions may become so interdependent
that each requires the other for survival.
What happens to the matter and energy when organisms use food?
In plants and animals, molecules from food a) react with oxygen to provide energy that is
needed to carry out life functions, b) build and become incorporated into the body structure,
or c) are stored for later use. (Also in Matter and Energy) Chemical energy is transferred from
one organism in an ecosystem to another as the organisms interact with each other for food.
Matter is transferred among organisms in an ecosystem when organisms eat, or are eaten by
others for food. Matter is transferred from organisms to the physical environment when molecules
from food react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water in a process called cellular
respiration. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly
between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
NC 2009 Science Essential Standards (Next Generation of Science Standards Framework, Public Comment Draft – July 12-August 2, 2010)
FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
3-5
Grades 3 – 5
To 6.L.1.2
To 6.L.2.1
5.L.2.2 Classify the organisms
within an ecosystem according to
the function they serve: producers,
consumers, or decomposers (biotic
factors). 5E/1
To 6.L.2.1
5.L.1.2 Compare the major systems
of the human body (digestive,
respiratory, circulatory, muscular,
skeletal, cardiovascular) as it relates
to their functions necessary for life.
6C/E1
4.L.2.2 Explain the role of vitamins,
minerals and exercise in maintaining
a healthy body. 6C/1
4.L.2.1 Classify substances as food or non-food
items based on their ability to provide energy and
materials for survival, growth and repair of the
body. 5E/2
To 8.L.3.3
5.L.2.2 5E/1 Supporting
Objective
Over the whole earth,
organisms are growing,
dying, decaying, and new
organisms are being
prodeuced by the old ones.
5E/1 (matter cycle)
How do organisms get the matter and energy they need
from what they get from the environment?
People and other animals take in the oxygen they need to
live by breathing. The digestive system breaks down the
food we eat into a form that can be used by the body. From
food, people and other animals obtain fuel (energy) and
materials for body repair and growth.
How do different organisms depend on their environment
for food?
The food of almost all kinds of animals can be traced back
to plants. Some animals eat plants for food. Other animals
eat animals that eat plants. Some organisms such as fungi
and bacteria operate as decomposers. Decomposition
eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil
for plants to use, and to repeat the food chain cycle.
Organisms can survive only in environments in which their
needs are met.
Where do organisms get the matter and energy they need?
Some source of energy is needed for all organisms to stay
alive and grow. From food, people and other animals obtain
fuel (i.e., energy) and materials for body repair, growth, and
reproduction. Organisms are related in food webs, with
plants, animals that eat those plants, and animals that eat
those animals. Some organisms (i.e., bacteria and fungi)
break down waste and dead organisms, and return materials
to the soil.
NC 2009 Science Essential Standards (Next Generation of Science Standards Framework, Public Comment Draft – July 12-August 2, 2010)
FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
K-2
To 4.L.2.1
Grades K – 2
`
1.L.1.1 Recognize that plants and animals need
air, water, light (plants only), space, food and
shelter and that these may be found in their
environment.5C/P2,5E/P1 (Matter Cycle)
To 4.L.2.1
How do living things get and use what they need to
live and grow?
All living things grow, reproduce, and respond to
their environment. Animals and plants meet their
needs for survival in different ways. Plants and
animals both need to take in water, and animals need
to take in food. In addition, plants need light and
minerals.
Where do animals get food?
Animals depend on plants and other animals for
food. When animals and plants (or plant parts) die,
they are fed upon by tiny organisms that break them
apart.
1.L.2.2 Summarize the basic needs of
a variety of different animals
(including air, water, and food) for
energy and growth. 5D/P1
Plants depend on air, water and light to grow.
Where do organisms get what they need to live?
Living things get the materials they need to
grow and survive from the environment. Many
materials from living things are used again by other
living things.
K.L.1.2 Compare characteristics of living and
nonliving things in terms of their: Structure.
Growth. Changes. Movement. Basic needs.
5C/P2
Energy in Living
Things
Plants
Making Food
Food webs
Matter Cycle