Edexcel GCSE Biology

Pyramids of biomass

Edexcel GCSE Biology revision on Pyramids of biomass. Aligned to the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Biology 1BI0 specification. This bank has 5 practice questions on this topic.

Sample questions (3 of 5)

  1. Question 1

    Why is a pyramid of biomass typically narrower at each successive trophic level?

    • A) Energy is lost as heat
    • B) Biomass is lost in waste
    • C) Mass is gained by prey
    • D) Less energy is consumed
    Show answer

    Answer: Biomass is lost in waste

    While energy is lost via respiration, the physical biomass itself is lost primarily through faeces and urea. Students often confuse energy flow with biomass accumulation; biomass is the dry mass of living material, which cannot be transferred efficiently to the next level.

  2. Question 2

    Which biological process is primarily responsible for the significant loss of energy between trophic levels in a pyramid of biomass?

    • A) Cellular respiration
    • B) Active transport
    • C) Protein synthesis
    • D) Genetic mutation
    Show answer

    Answer: Cellular respiration

    Respiration releases energy used for movement and body temperature regulation, which then dissipates into the surroundings as heat. Because this energy is no longer available to the next consumer, the total biomass that can be supported at the next trophic level is limited.

  3. Question 3

    How does the biomass of a single large producer, such as a tree, compare to the biomass of the primary consumers it supports?

    • A) Producer mass is larger
    • B) Consumer mass is larger
    • C) Masses are identical
    • D) Masses are unrelated
    Show answer

    Answer: Consumer mass is larger

    Pyramids of biomass are usually shaped like pyramids, but they can be inverted if the producer is very large and supports a vast number of smaller organisms. This demonstrates that biomass is a measure of dry mass at a specific moment in time rather than cumulative energy.

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