Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Diagram 1.
Source:
https://growitbuildit.com/time-for-hot-compost/
A compost pile may look like a simple heap of food scraps and yard waste, but inside it functions as a dynamic biological reactor. Billions of bacteria and fungi rapidly break down organic matter, and in doing so, they release large amounts of heat. This temperature rise is a direct result of aerobic cellular respiration, the chemical process by which microorganisms extract energy from food molecules.
In aerobic respiration, microbes break the chemical bonds in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These foods contain many carbon–hydrogen
This is why compost piles get warm. During the “active heating” phase of composting, microbial populations explode, and oxygen intake and food breakdown increase sharply. As more bonds are broken in food molecules and new bonds form in
When oxygen levels are high and organic material is plentiful, aerobic respiration dominates. As oxygen becomes limited or easily degradable materials are consumed, respiration slows. The temperature gradually drops during the “cooling” and “curing” stages, reflecting decreased microbial activity and fewer bond-breaking reactions.
Table 1.
Day | Compost Temperature ( | O |
|---|---|---|
1 | 22 | 12 |
3 | 38 | 28 |
5 | 52 | 47 |
7 | 63 | 65 |
10 | 58 | 54 |
14 | 50 | 42 |
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Table 2.
Decomposition Stage | CO | Heat Energy (kJ/day) |
|---|---|---|
Initial | 3.2 | 45 |
Active Heating | 12.5 | 165 |
Peak Thermophilic | 18.7 | 260 |
Cooling | 10.3 | 145 |
Curing | 4.8 | 60 |
Graph of Information - Figure 2.
Diagram 2.
According to Table 1, on which day does the compost pile reach its highest temperature?
Using Table 1 and Figure 1, describe the relationship between oxygen consumption and compost temperature during the first 14 days.
Using evidence from the reading and Figure 3, explain how microbial cells, populations, and the whole compost ecosystem interact to produce heat during decomposition.
Using Table 2 and Figure 2, describe how
Based on the reading, which statement BEST explains why heat output decreases during the cooling and curing stages?
Explain how microbial aerobic respiration in compost breaks and forms chemical bonds to release energy as heat.
Claim: _______
Evidence: _______
Reasoning: _______