Photosynthesis

[TrueDime215]

What happens to the stored energy that does not advance from one level of the food chain to the next?

[biostudent84]

Waste heat from respiration is lost to the enviornment.

Non-predatory death causes the energy in dead animals to be send to the decomposers.

Feces (yes there is still energy in there!) is dropped to the ground.

Only about 10% of all energy moves from one trophic level to the next...with the exception of plants, which only capture 1% of energy from the sun.

[RobJim]

Some of it is transformed to nonbiotic potential or kinetic energy too. For example, suppose a bird makes a nest. It's converting it's biological chemical potential energy obtained from food to gravitational potential energy, as the nest is up higher than the component pieces were.

[xLor182x]

Some of it is transformed to nonbiotic potential or kinetic energy too. For example, suppose a bird makes a nest. It's converting it's biological chemical potential energy obtained from food to gravitational potential energy, as the nest is up higher than the component pieces were.

sorry I'm totally lost at that

[mith]

Two things can happen to energy at any particular level. It can advance up a level if something above eats it. Or if nothing eats it, the energy remains at the level or drops when it dies and lower life-forms eat it or through pooping.

RobJim stated that the stored energy is converted to work or the energy you burn when exercising.

[RobJim]

xLor182x -

Here's a possible path for energy:

Nuclear potential energy in hydrogen atoms in the Sun is released as sunlight when the atoms fuse into helium. (EDIT - helium to hydrogen)

Plants capture the sunlight via photosynthesis and convert it to chemical potential energy stored in seeds in the form of oil.

Birds eat the seeds, and convert the chemical potential energy in the oil to chemical potential energy in the bird's body, which eventually becomes ATP.

Birds use the ATP to fuel their muscles. They pick up sticks and string from low places and carry it against the force of gravity to high places, making it into a nest. This converts the chemical potential energy of the ATP to gravitational potential energy in the nest.

Get it?