Question 1: Define 'food security' and explain its importance in medical science.

Answer: Food security is the availability and access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy life. In medical science, it is important because malnutrition and food scarcity can lead to increased susceptibility to disease and affect recovery.

Question 2: Describe the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food chain related to human nutrition.

Answer: Producers (plants) create organic material through photosynthesis, consumers (animals including humans) eat producers or other consumers for energy, and decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the environment.

Question 3: Explain how energy is transferred between trophic levels and why energy loss occurs.

Answer: Energy is transferred when organisms consume others, but only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next trophic level. Energy loss occurs due to metabolic processes, heat production, movement, and waste excretion.

Question 1: If a primary producer biomass is 5000 kg, and a secondary consumer biomass is 50 kg, calculate the percentage energy transfer from the producer to the secondary consumer. Assume energy transfer efficiency is 10% per trophic level.

Answer: Percentage transfer = (Biomass of secondary consumer / Biomass of producer) × 100 = (50 / 5000) × 100 = 1%

Question 1: Outline a simple experiment to investigate the effect of nutrient availability on plant biomass in relation to food security. Include variables, controls, and safety precautions.

Answer: The experiment involves growing plants with varying nutrient levels (independent variable), measuring biomass after a set period (dependent variable). Controls include identical soil type, light, and water. Safety precautions include wearing gloves when handling fertilisers and ensuring proper disposal of waste.

Question 1: A farm produces 1000 kg of crops which support a population of 200 people. If the energy transfer efficiency is 10%, estimate the amount of energy available to support one person. Discuss the implications of this for food security in medical contexts.

Answer: Total energy transferred to humans = 1000 kg × 10% = 100 kg. Energy per person = 100 kg / 200 = 0.5 kg. This indicates that limited energy transfer at each trophic level can impact food availability and health, highlighting the importance of efficient food production for medical needs.

Question 1: Explain how disruptions at any trophic level can affect human food security and health. Include examples related to disease transmission or malnutrition.

Answer: Disruptions at trophic levels, such as overfishing or pesticide use, can reduce food availability and diversity, leading to malnutrition. For example, loss of fish stocks affects protein intake, while disease transmission from animals (zoonoses) can increase health risks. Maintaining trophic balance is vital for sustainable food security and health.

Question 1: Describe how understanding trophic levels can help improve food production methods to support global health and reduce malnutrition.

Answer: Understanding trophic levels allows for optimisation of crop yields and sustainable farming practices, reducing waste and ensuring sufficient nutritious food. This supports global health by decreasing malnutrition and related diseases, especially in vulnerable populations.

Question 2: Explain how advances in medical science, such as vaccines or antibiotics, can be affected by food security issues related to trophic level disruptions.

Answer: Food security issues can lead to malnutrition, weakening immune systems and increasing susceptibility to infections. Disruptions in trophic levels may reduce access to vital nutrients needed for vaccine efficacy and recovery. Therefore, ensuring stable food supplies supports the effectiveness of medical treatments and disease prevention.