All living organisms have need of a constant supply of energy, for the maintenance of their life processes. Energy can be defined as the ability to do work, hence, for metabolic reactions to occur a supply of energy is needed.
The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but transfers from one state to another. Photosynthesis and Respiration, are two processes involved in the production of energy. These processes will now be examined.
Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy from the sun to chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar. The only organisms that contain the pigment chlorophyll can photosynthesize. These organisms are referred to as Autotrophs or …show more content…
In the light dependent reaction, light hits the chlorophyll and emits two high energy electrons, which passes through a series of reaction that generates ATP and reduced NADP (NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DIPHOSPHATE) which are used to power a series of reactions known as the Calvin Cycle or the light-independent stage. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen and anaerobic respiration to occur in the absence of oxygen. Aerobic respiration is a series of redox reactions that can produce up to 36 molecules of ATP per molecule of glucose and the reduced coenzyme NADH (NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE D.
Aerobic respiration has four stages: Glycolysis, Pyruvate oxidation, otherwise known as the link reaction, the Kreb’s Cycle and the electron transport chain. The light dependent stage of photosynthesis also happens in four stages. The individual stages will now be looked …show more content…
Pyruvate is oxidised into acetyl coenzyme A, in the link reaction stage. This reaction takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria, no ATP is produced at this stage, and however the acetyl CoA enters the Krebs cycle. The reaction of the Krebs cycle also takes place on the matrix of the mitochondria, Acetyl coA a coenzyme now drives a series of reaction that produces hydrogen ions. This stage produces four molecules of ATP. The hydrogen ion produced in the Krebs cycle, initiates the final stage, the electron transport chain. The energy in the electrons is used to facilitate a series of oxidation and reduction reactions (redox), which takes place in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. At this stage enough energy is released to generate up to 32 molecules of ATP per