What is a System?
A system is a group of things that work together as a network. Let’s look at the human body. Our bodies have many systems interacting to keep us alive. For example, we have a digestive system that converts food energy into body energy. The digestive system has inputs(food) and outputs are the products of a system (energy molecules and undigested food).
Here is a basic overview of the digestive system and some of its inputs and outputs.
When you put food in your mouth (input), your teeth and saliva break it into smaller chunks (outputs).
You swallow the chunks (input),
and the stomach and small intestine convert the chunks into large energy molecules (output).
The large energy molecules (inputs) diffuse into the cells of your body, where they convert to a smaller energy molecule called ATP (output). The cell uses ATP (input) to do cell-related activities (output).
Notice how the outputs of one part become the inputs of the next part. Therefore, it takes many small inputs and outputs to convert the energy in food into energy that cells use.
There are two primary types of systems. An open system can transfer energy AND matter to its surroundings, while a closed system transfers only energy, not matter. Your body is an example of an open system because you need food (matter and energy) from your surroundings, and you poop to get rid of undigested food (matter and energy.) Earth is a closed system because energy enters and leaves, but matter does not.
Here are some other examples of systems:
| This is an Open System | This is a Closed System | This is a System Everyone Should Have In Their Playlist |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
So, I Have This Rock Named Larry
So, I have this rock named Larry. Larry is a good friend of mine, but I recently learned why Larry doesn’t speak. You see, Larry is an abiotic factor. An abiotic factor is something that is not living or has never been alive. Water, air, dirt, and Larry are all examples of abiotic factors.
Abiotic Factors
 |  |  |
| Water, Clouds, and Air | Mud | Larry |
A biotic factor is a living thing or something that has died. My dog, grass, and ninjas are all examples of biotic factors. A dead tree is still a biotic factor because it was once alive and is made of the stuff that defines life – e.g., cells. Zombies are biotic factors because, at one point in time, they were living. Actually, they are the living dead, which is an oxymoron that is a biotic factor.
Biotic Factors
What is an Ecosystem?
Before defining an ecosystem, I need to define a few key terms first.
Population – A group of the same species in a given area – e.g., a group of alpacas.
Community – All of the biotic factors in a given area – e.g., frog, plants, dragonfly, and lily pad.
Habitat – All the abiotic factors in a given area – e.g., water, cloud, and atmosphere.
Ecosystem – The interaction of all the biotic factors and abiotic factors in an area – e.g., frogs, plants, dragonflies, lily pads, water, atmosphere, and clouds.
So, an ecosystem comprises many smaller systems – i.e., organism, population, community, and habitat. The Benicia State Park is an example of an ecosystem. The community comprises mice, hawks, turkey vultures, cattails, trees, shrubbery, rats, and bugs. The habitat consists of water, salt, dirt, pavement, rocks, smaller rocks, even smaller rocks, slightly smaller rocks than the even smaller rocks, and Larry.
But wait, there’s more. An ecosystem is a part of an even larger system. What do you get when you combine all the ecosystems of the world?
Super Ecosystem 4500x with Lasers?
No. The sum of all the ecosystems on Earth is the biosphere. The biosphere comprises the total area on Earth where life exists (nearly 200,000,000 square miles).
Does it have lasers?
No.
This class is stupid.
