Exercise 13. Answer the following questions

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1. Who is the originator of the theory of biosphere? 2. What is biosphere according to V.I.Vernadsky? 3. What does biosphere include? 4. What does biogenous include? 5. What are the vital functions of living organisms? 6. How does the living matter act? 7. Why is the biosphere of the Earth radically transformed? 8. How did V.I.Vernadsky define the biosphere? 9. What does noosphere mean? 10. Where does the man become the greatest geological power? 11. At what levels can the living organisms be studied? 12. What is called ecology? 13. What do the goals of ecology include? 14. What is an ecological system? 15. How can plants exist? 16. What is termed autotrophs? 17. What is termed producers? 18. What is termed consumers? 19. What is known as biological productivity?

Exercise 14. Give definitions of:

The biosphere is.... The lithosphere is....

The biomass is.... Autotrophs are....

The atmosphere is.... Biogenous includes...

The population is.... Hemotrophs are...

The hydrosphere is.... The noosphere is...

The ecosystem is.... Heterotrophs are....

Exercise 20. Retell the text "Biosphere ".

Exercise 21. Copy out the new words. Read and translate the following article orally or in writing.

Contribution to Food Chain Because angiosperms are the most numerous component of the

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Terrestrial environment in terms of biomass and number of individuals, they provide an important source of food for animals and other living organisms. Organic compounds (carbon-containing compounds, principally carbohydrates) not only arc used by the plant itself for synthesizing cellular structures and for fueling their basic metabolisms but also serve as the only source of energy for most heterotrophic organisms. (Hcterotrophs require an organic source of carbon that has originated as part of another living organism, in contrast to autotrophs, which require only an inorganic source of carbon - C02).

Solar energy is trapped by the photosynthetic pigments in the plant cells and converted into chemical energy, which is stored in the tissues of the plant. The trapped energy is transferred from one organism to the next as herbivores consume the plant, carnivores consume herbivores, and so on up the food chain. In a temperate forest, one angiosperm tree supports many thousands of animals (the majority being insects, birds, and mammals), a relationship that underscores the basic importance of the angiosperms to the food chain. The angiosperm body contributes to the food chain in many ways. The vegetative parts (the non-reproductive organs, such as stems and leaves) are consumed by, and support, plant- eating animals. Vast numbers of insects and other invertebrates depend on shoots for food during all or part of their life histories. The reproductive organs (flowers, fruits, and seeds) also provide an energy source for many animals. The pollen supports many pollinating insects, particularly bees. The flowers provide food from floral nectaries that secrete sugars and amino acids. Nectar-feeding animals include many insect groups (bees, butterflies, flies), many mammal groups (bats, small rodents), and birds.

Fruits are the principal food for many bats, birds, mammals, and even some fish. Seeds are also an important food source for many animals, particularly birds. These animals often carry the fruits and seeds of the angiosperms they consume to new areas, where the angiosperms propagate. Another aspect of angiosperm diversity is found in the production of secondary compounds, such as alkaloids. Some insects successfully store these secondary compounds in their tissues and use them as protection from predation (хижацьтво). As the principal component of the terrestrial biosphere, the angiosperm flora determines many features of the habitat, some of which are available food, aspects of the forest canopy, and grazing land. They supply nesting sites and materials for a wide range of birds and mammals, and they are the principal living spaces for many primates, reptiles, and amphibians.