In the total biomass on Earth, which group of organisms accounts for the largest amount of carbon?
Explanation
Analysis of the Earth's total biomass reveals that plants make up the vast majority of living matter by weight. Figure 1-14 quantifies this, showing that plants account for approximately 450 out of 550 total gigatons of carbon, dwarfing all other forms of life combined.
Other questions
What is the fundamental principle that describes how all cells replicate their hereditary information?
What is the primary function of proteins that act as enzymes in a cell?
The tree of life, based on genome comparisons, is divided into which three major domains?
According to the endosymbiotic theory, how did mitochondria most likely evolve?
Which of the following model organisms was the first multicellular organism to have its complete genome sequence determined?
What is the approximate number of genes found in the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium, one of the simplest known free-living organisms?
Which of the following is NOT listed as a mode of genetic innovation that generates new genes?
What are genes called that are related by a gene duplication event within a single genome?
What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes a eukaryotic cell from a prokaryotic cell?
How many protein-coding genes does the human genome have, according to Table 1-2?
What percentage of the human genome consists of nonprotein-coding DNA?
What is the primary role of the cytosol in a eukaryotic cell?
What is the term for the process by which a cell engulfs other cells or large objects?
Which model organism is a small weed from the cabbage family, chosen for studying plant molecular biology?
What is the approximate genome size of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, in nucleotide pairs?
According to the text, what is a gene defined as?
In the model for eukaryotic cell evolution presented, which event is thought to have occurred first?
Which model vertebrate is particularly useful for studying early embryonic development because its eggs are large, develop externally, and its cytoplasm can be used for in vitro experiments?
What is the approximate number of cells in the body of an adult Caenorhabditis elegans worm?
Which statement best describes the relationship between the genomes of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryotes?
What is the primary characteristic of lithotrophic organisms?
What is the function of the giant chromosomes found in the salivary gland cells of Drosophila?
How many protein-coding genes does the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contain, according to Table 1-2?
What is the defining feature of all viruses?
How is the genetic information in a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule read during translation?
In the comparison of vertebrate divergence times, which pair of animals has the most recent common ancestor?
What is the primary function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in a eukaryotic cell?
What is the key advantage of the zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model for developmental studies?
Why do eukaryotic cells have hybrid genomes?
What is the approximate size of the human genome in nucleotide pairs?
What is the primary role of regulatory DNA in eukaryotic genomes?
Which statement accurately describes the reproductive capabilities of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae?
What is the primary reason that a constant input of free energy is fundamental to life?
What term describes genes in two separate species that derive from the same ancestral gene in their last common ancestor?
Which biological polymer is formed from monomer subunits called amino acids?
What is the approximate size of the genome of the bacterium Escherichia coli in nucleotide pairs?
How many different types of amino acids are used to build proteins?
According to the analysis of highly conserved gene families, which two cellular functions have the largest number of gene families common to all three domains of life?
What are viruses that infect bacteria called?
How many possible codons can be formed from the four nucleotides in mRNA, and how many naturally occurring amino acids do they specify?
What is the primary feature of an amphiphilic molecule like a phospholipid?
The single-celled eukaryote Didinium is a carnivore with a globular body of about what diameter?
According to the text, a phenomenon called a Brownian ratchet can drive forward movement of a cell membrane. What is the molecular basis of this ratchet?
In what way are fungal cells like animal cells, and in what way are they different?
What is the primary evidence that all living things on Earth are descended from a universal common ancestor?
What is the approximate size of the genome of the plant model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana?
How many core functions must a minimal virus genome encode?
Which of the following describes the process of transcription?
What is the function of the Golgi apparatus in a eukaryotic cell?