The biosphere extends from 5 miles above and 7 miles below the Earth's surface and consists of all environments that support life, including land, water, and air. Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment. Ecologists use observation, experimentation, and modeling in their work. Primary producers like algae and plants capture sunlight to produce energy-rich molecules through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, while consumers rely on ingesting other organisms for nutrients and energy, forming food chains and complex food webs that transfer energy between trophic levels of the biosphere.