
Concept explainers
To review:
The position of sea cucumbers in the marine benthic food web and how their position may affect the net primary production through this particular ecosystem.
Given:
Sea cucumbers feed or graze on organic matter (marine sediments).
Introduction:
Food web is an interconnection between various different food chains. In nature, food chains do not occur in isolation and are always in conjunction with other food chains. Net primary production is a measure of the amount of carbon that is uptaken by organisms after accounting for the loss through respiration. Sea cucumbers play a very important role in the marine food web. Their position also contributes greatly to the net primary production in the marine ecosystem.

Explanation of Solution
Sea cucumbers eat the marine sediments that get accumulated in the marine ecosystem. They clear out various organic materials, such as plankton, algae, and bacteria, that would otherwise grow in numbers unchecked and decrease the productivity of the system. They also get preyed on by other species like the leatherback sea turtle and different types of fishes. Thus, it both acts as a recycler of nutrients and as a food source for other species.
Thus, this position of sea cucumber in the food web is essential for the greater productivity in the ecosystem. If sea cucumbers were to get extinct, it would greatly impact the net primary production of that ecosystem. Without sea cucumbers, a food source for the other species would be missing. The algae, plankton, and bacteria would also grow unchecked and eventually cause hypoxia, which would lead to a decrease in the net primary production.
Therefore, it can be concluded that sea cucumbers occupy an important position in the marine food web and their absence would lead to a decrease in the net primary production.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 57 Solutions
Life: The Science of Biology
- You generate a transgenic mouse line with a lox-stop-lox sequence upstream of a dominant-negative Notch fused to GFP. Upon crossing this mouse with another mouse line expressing ectoderm-specific Cre, what would you expect for the phenotype of neuronal differentiation in the resulting embryos?arrow_forwardHair follicle formation is thought to result from a reaction-diffusion mechanism with Wnt and its antagonist Dkk1. How is Dkk1 regulated by Wnt? Describe specific cis-regulatory elements and the net effect on Dkk1 expression.arrow_forwardLimetown S1E4 Transcript: E n 2025SP-BIO-111-PSNT1: Natu X Natural Selection in insects X + newconnect.mheducation.com/student/todo CA NATURAL SELECTION NATURAL SELECTION IN INSECTS (HARDY-WEINBERG LAW) INTRODUCTION LABORATORY SIMULATION A Lab Data Is this the correct allele frequency? Is this the correct genotype frequency? Is this the correct phenotype frequency? Total 1000 Phenotype Frequency Typica Carbonaria Allele Frequency 9 P 635 823 968 1118 1435 Color Initial Frequency Light 0.25 Dark 0.75 Frequency Gs 0.02 Allele Initial Allele Frequency Gs Allele Frequency d 0.50 0 D 0.50 0 Genotype Frequency Moths Genotype Color Moths Released Initial Frequency Frequency G5 Number of Moths Gs NC - Xarrow_forward
- Which of the following is not a sequence-specific DNA binding protein? 1. the catabolite-activated protein 2. the trp repressor protein 3. the flowering locus C protein 4. the flowering locus D protein 5. GAL4 6. all of the above are sequence-specific DNA binding proteinsarrow_forwardWhich of the following is not a DNA binding protein? 1. the lac repressor protein 2. the catabolite activated protein 3. the trp repressor protein 4. the flowering locus C protein 5. the flowering locus D protein 6. GAL4 7. all of the above are DNA binding proteinsarrow_forwardWhat symbolic and cultural behaviors are evident in the archaeological record and associated with Neandertals and anatomically modern humans in Europe beginning around 35,000 yBP (during the Upper Paleolithic)?arrow_forward
- Describe three cranial and postcranial features of Neanderthals skeletons that are likely adaptation to the cold climates of Upper Pleistocene Europe and explain how they are adaptations to a cold climate.arrow_forwardBiology Questionarrow_forward✓ Details Draw a protein that is embedded in a membrane (a transmembrane protein), label the lipid bilayer and the protein. Identify the areas of the lipid bilayer that are hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Draw a membrane with two transporters: a proton pump transporter that uses ATP to generate a proton gradient, and a second transporter that moves glucose by secondary active transport (cartoon-like is ok). It will be important to show protons moving in the correct direction, and that the transporter that is powered by secondary active transport is logically related to the proton pump.arrow_forward
- drawing chemical structure of ATP. please draw in and label whats asked. Thank you.arrow_forwardOutline the negative feedback loop that allows us to maintain a healthy water concentration in our blood. You may use diagram if you wisharrow_forwardGive examples of fat soluble and non-fat soluble hormonesarrow_forward
- Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305389892Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage LearningConcepts of BiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168116Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James WisePublisher:OpenStax College
- Biology 2eBiologyISBN:9781947172517Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann ClarkPublisher:OpenStaxHuman Biology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305112100Author:Cecie Starr, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage Learning




