Name:
Period:
Date:
Poster: Tracing a Carbon Atom and Energy
Process & Procedure:
1. Construct a diagram that explains how a labeled carbon atom in a molecule of atmospheric (air)
carbon dioxide (CO2) ends up in a human muscle protein.
2. Trace the route of Carbon & Energy through your biome. Choose one of the biomes below. You may
want to do a quick “Google” search to find out what plants and animals live in your biome.
3. Create a poster (draw on the back of this page) with drawings and labels that show how carbon and
energy are transformed as they move through your ecosystem/biome.
4. Your path must contain at least 6 steps and end at your arm muscle.
5. Label your diagram so that it explains the sequence of events that you have illustrated. Clearly state
the following:
• The type of metabolic process in each step (breakdown or biosynthesis)
• The energy source for each step (light, chemical, etc)
• The name of and details describing the metabolic processes that occur in the sequence
Key Words: Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration, Biosynthesis, Decomposition/breakdown, Light
energy, Chemical energy & ATP
Recall that biosynthesis reactions form larger, more complex molecules from smaller, less complex molecules. Some examples of
biosynthesis are the formation of starch from glucose and the building of proteins from amino acids.
Tundra
Coniferous Forest
Deciduous Forest
Tropical Rain Forest
Grasslands
Biomes (choose one)
Deserts
Fresh Water Pond
Serengeti
Fresh Water Stream
Open Ocean
Example of a carbon & energy flow through an ecosystem.
Check the classroom website “Documents/Ch 7” for a PowerPoint “Poster – Tracing Carbon”, which has
more details and examples.