Photosynthesis process can be defined as the one in which autotrophs make their food. Autotrophs include green plants, fungi, and some bacteria. The process of photosynthesis is important not only to these plants and fungi but the life cycle of living things. A good example is animals, who feed on these plants to maintain their energy levels. If at all the process of photosynthesis does not take place this will mean that the animals will not have food and without the food, there is no energy (Formighieri, 2015, p. 43). This paper looks at how photosynthesis takes place in the cells of a plant by use of light energy, making glucose, which is later incorporated into the cells of animals, like the giraffe (Cellular respiration).
The process of photosynthesis
During the day a ray of sunlight enters the leaves of a plant or a tree, which contains cells that aid in photosynthesis known as chloroplasts. Light particles known as photons enter into the chloroplasts and use chlorophyll which is the green coloring matter of the tree to start the process of photosynthesis. The photon split water molecules (H2O) into hydrogen ions (H2+), oxygen and electrons. Some of these electrons react with NADP (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) which reduces it from its positive state NADP+ to NADPH.
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NADP+ + 2e- + 2H+ ------> NADPH + H+
The other electrons are moved to the electron transport chain (ETC) and are used in other processes in the cells of the tree. The next step in the process involves the Calvin cycle. Animals including Jenna (the giraffe), breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere and it enters into the leaves of the tree through pores known as stomata. The CO2 is then diffused into the stroma where the Calvin reaction cycle takes place. In the cycle, CO2 atoms are incorporated into organic molecules, and one molecule of the carbon dioxide is absorbed adding to a five-carbon molecule to form a six-carbon molecule. The enzyme RuBisCO in the tree leaves breaks down the six-carbon molecule to equal part. The enzyme contains energy from ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH molecules which convert the carbon molecules to a trio of three carbons which become sugar and glucose. This glucose is transported through the plant in the process of translocation (Junge, 2015, p. 577).
Jenna, the giraffe, is walking by the tree and decides she is hungry and needs something to eat. She eats the leaves of the tree where glucose has already been formed, and she absorbs the glucose into her body. This leads to the next process of cellular respiration which takes place in Jenna's body. Animals and other living organisms get their energy through feeding directly on plants or through eating other animals that feed on plants to get the same energy. In the process of respiration, aerobic respiration is considered when trying to incorporate photosynthesis in plants and cellular respiration in animals. This is because the bi-products of the two are used in the processes interchangeably. For example, the by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen. Jenna absorbs the oxygen which she will later use in the breakdown of sugar glucose; she obtains from the tree leaves, through the process of cellular respiration. Her bi-product will be carbon dioxide, water, and energy. The carbon dioxide will then be used in the process of photosynthesis, and the process continues.
As of now, the protons have been used to convert carbon molecules to sugar glucose in the leaves of the plant. Jenna has ingested the leaves, and the protons are now in her body. The process of cellular respiration takes place in the cytoplasm of Jenna's cells where glycolysis occurs. In the process, glucose molecules are split into parts namely, Pyruvic Acids and two ATP energy molecules (Arroyo & Schweickert, 2015, p. 10).
CCC/CCC]ß Glucose split into Pyruvic Acids [CCC and CCC] and 2ATP molecules.
The pyruvic acids then move to the mitochondria of Jenna's cells, and they are split into 2 Acetyl Co-enzyme A molecules.
CC----enzyme--------C = CC-CoA + C +electrons + H2+
The acetyl-CoA molecules then move to the Kreb's Cycle and through a series of reactions releases CO2, H+, electrons, and ATP. It is a double cycle, and 2 ATP molecules are produced. The process then moves to the electron transport chain where all the other electrons and H+ ions are put together. They are transported to this step by NAD+ and FAD ‘buses,' forming a total of 34 ATP. The hydrogen ions join with oxygen molecules to form a waste product H2O. The remaining carbons react with oxygen in the cells the giraffe forming carbon dioxide, CO2 while ATP molecules provide energy that allows Jenna, the giraffe to do things like running (Scatena, Bottoni, & Giardina, 2008, p. 51).
Simba, the lion, is a carnivore. This means that he cannot get his energy through taking carbohydrates gotten from plants. Simba gets his energy through protein metabolism which is linked to glucose metabolism. When he eats Jenna, the giraffe, he will have high levels of proteins that will be broken down into amino acids. These are later broken further to energy molecules in the cells of Simba giving him the energy he needs. Without Jenna then Simba cannot obtain this energy. Without the leaves from the tree, Jenna cannot be a source of protein to Simba. Without photosynthesis, Jenna will not have a source of food/glucose, and without the proton from sunlight, photosynthesis cannot take place. From the above, we can trace the proton from the sun to the leaves, to Jenna and finally to Simba.
References
Arroyo, J. P., & Schweickert, A. J. (2015). Cellular Respiration and Diffusion. Back to Basics in Physiology , 1-18. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-801768-5.00001-0
Formighieri, C. (2015). Photosynthesis: A Dynamic Process. SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science , 43-49. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-16730-5_9
Junge, W. (2015). Protons, proteins and ATP. Discoveries in Photosynthesis , 573-595. doi:10.1007/1-4020-3324-9_53
Scatena, R., Bottoni, P., & Giardina, B. (2008). Cellular Respiration and Dedifferentiation. Cellular Respiration and Carcinogenesis , 45-54. doi:10.1007/978-1-59745-435-3_4
