Why is photosynthesis important to all trophic levels, not just I and II?

Question

Why is photosynthesis important to all trophic levels, not just I and II?

Answer 1

Photosynthesis is the main source of energy for all living matter. land plants and algae are the base of the food web. they convert the energy from the sun into chemical energy (e.g. sugars) that are then converted in biomass (tissue, etc) which is then eaten.

So all trophic levels depend on this energy.

With some exceptions, most notably, hydrothermal vents, which get their energy from chemoautotrophy.

Answer 2

photosynthesis

Process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light into chemical energy. In green plants, light energy is captured by chlorophyll in the chloroplasts of the leaves and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds (simple and complex sugars) that are the basis of both plant and animal life. Photosynthesis consists of a number of photochemical and enzymatic reactions. It occurs in two stages. During the light-dependent stage (light reaction), chlorophyll absorbs light energy, which excites some electrons in the pigment molecules to higher energy levels; these leave the chlorophyll and pass along a series of molecules, generating formation of NADPH (an enzyme) and high-energy ATP molecules. Oxygen, released as a by-product, passes into the atmosphere through pores in the leaves. NADPH and ATP drive the second stage, the dark reaction (or Calvin cycle, discovered by Melvin Calvin), which does not require light. During this stage glucose is generated using atmospheric carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis is crucial for maintaining life on Earth; if it ceased, there would soon be little food or other organic matter on the planet, and most types of organisms would disappear.