Describe 3 ways that the knowledge of the metabolic processes photosynthesis and

Question

Describe 3 ways that the knowledge of the metabolic processes photosynthesis and cellular respiration can improve your level of physical fitness

Explanation / Answer

The link between photosynthesis and cellular respiration is an inverse relationship, both are opposites of each other. Photosynthesis is the process by which carbon dioxide is converted into organic compounds from sunlight. The most frequent compound is sugar. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and some bacteria. Cellular respiration, in contrast, takes glucose (sugar) and other organic compounds oxidizing them to create carbon dioxide. Each cycle depends on one another in order for the "entire cycle" to take place. The completed cycle ensures life continues to exist on the planet. Both are necessary for living organisms............................Metabolism We have seen how plants convert sunlight into sugars. Now we need to understand how cells can use the products of photosynthesis to obtain energy. There are several possible metabolic pathways by which cells can obtain the energy stored in chemical bonds: *Glycolysis ** Fermentation *** Cellular respiration ....................... Glycolysis can occur in either the absence or the presence of oxygen. During glycolysis, glucose is broken down to pyruvic acid, yielding 2 ATP of energy. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of cells, not in organelles, and occurs in all kinds of living organisms. Prokaryote cells use glycolysis and the first living cells most likely used glycolysis. Fermentation: During fermentation, the pyruvic acid produced during glycolysis is converted to either ethanol or lactic acid. This continued use of pyruvic acid during fermentation permits glycolysis to continue with its associated production of ATP. ........................****Cellular Respiration*****: Respiration is the general process by which organisms oxidize organic molecules (e.g., sugars) and derive energy (ATP) from the molecular bonds that are broken. Glucose (a sugar): C6H12O6 ................ Respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis, and is described by the equation: C6H12O6+6O2 ----------> 6CO2+6H2O+36ATP.............................. Simply stated, this equation means that oxygen combines with sugars to break molecular bonds, releasing the energy (in the form of ATP) contained in those bonds. In addition to the energy released, the products of the reaction are carbon dioxide and water. In eukaryotic cells, cellular respiration begins with the products of glycolysis being transported into the mitochondria. A series of metabolic pathways (the Krebs cycle and others) in the mitochondria result in the further breaking of chemical bonds and the liberation of ATP. CO2 and H2O are end products of these reactions. The theoretical maximum yield of cellular respiration is 36 ATP per molecule of glucose metabolized. ** Note that photosynthesis is a reduction-oxidation reaction, just like respiration (see the primer on redox reactions from the lecture on Microbes). In respiration energy is released from sugars when electrons associated with hydrogen are transported to oxygen (the electron acceptor), and water is formed as a byproduct. The mitochondria use the energy released in this oxidation in order to synthesize ATP. In photosynthesis, the electron flow is reversed, the water is split (not formed), and the electrons are transferred from the water to CO2 and in the process the energy is used to reduce the CO2 into sugar. In respiration the energy yield is 686 kcal per mole of glucose oxidized to CO2, while photosynthesis requires 686 kcal of energy to boost the electrons from the water to their high-energy perches in the reduced sugar -- light provides this energy.

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