Increased temperature means greater molecular motion, so most materials expand when heated. Decomposers transform dead organisms into simpler substances, which other organisms can reuse. Plants get energy by breaking down the sugars, releasing some of the energy as heat. Other organisms get energy to grow and function by breaking down the consumed body structures to sugars and then breaking down the sugars, releasing some of the energy into the environment as heat. Matter and energy are transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment.
Several processes contribute to building up and wearing down the earth's surface.
Some of the processes are abrupt, such as earthquakes and volcanoes, while some are slow, such as continental drift and erosion. Matching coastlines and similarities in rocks and fossils suggest that today's continents are separated parts of what was long ago a single vast continent. The solid crust of the earth consists of separate plates that move very slowly, pressing against one another in some places, pulling apart in other places. Major geological events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from these plate motions. All rights reserved.