Indicate a clear relationship between ocean depth and the abundance of life. 1-2 paragraphs explaining any relationship that it shows with reference to the basic needs of living organisms and the characteristics of the ocean.

Living things obtain and use energy

Cells cannot survive on their own. They need power to stay alive. They need energy to perform functions such as growth, maintaining balance, repair, reproduction, movement and defense. This means all living organisms must obtain and use energy to live.

Energy is the power to do things. This power comes in many ways and forms, but they can all be linked to the sun. It is the source of all energy.

A living organism can either make its own food or depend on others to make food for them. For example green plants produce their own food from a process called photosynthesis. They use the chloroplasts in their cells to capture energy in sunlight. They combine it with water and carbon dioxide from the air to produce sugars for themselves. Green plants are therefore known as producers or autotrophs. Bacteria can also make their own food or breakdown food.

Other organisms eat green plants (which has a store of the energy they produce) to obtain energy. They are known as consumers or heterotrophs. Rabbits and sheep are examples of consumers. Herbivores, carnivores and omnivores are all consumers, and they all have to go find food to give them energy.

The process of obtaining and using energy by living organisms are best explained by three important scientific terms namely Anabolism, Catabolism and Metabolism. Take a look at the illustration below:

it will increase due to the time span