Which statement best describes what ultimately happens to the chemical energy that is not converted to new biomass in the process of energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem?
A) It is undigested and winds up in the feces and is not passed on to higher trophic levels.
B) It is used by organisms to maintain their life processes through the reactions of cellular respiration.
C) Heat produced by cellular respiration is used by heterotrophs to thermoregulate.
D) It is eliminated as feces or is dissipated into space as heat in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics.
E) It is recycled by decomposers to a form that is once again usable by primary producers.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The chemical energy that is not converted to new biomass in the process of energy transfer between trophic levels is ultimately lost as heat or eliminated as waste, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics, which states that energy transformations are not 100% efficient and some energy is always lost as heat to the surroundings.

Which Statement Best Describes What Ultimately Happens to the Chemical