Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

How do we obtain our energy? Animals?? Plants??

Photosynthesis Greek Words Photo: light Synthesis: to put together/composition What biotic organism requires light to put things together (for energy)? Sometimes, scientists like to scare us with big words...but within all these scary words, its easy to figure out what they mean if you break the words apart.

Photosynthesis A process used to convert the Sun’s energy into chemical energy, stored in glucose Occurs in plants and some microorganisms This process takes place in the chloroplast, using the chemical called chlorophyll -this is how plants can make food for themselves as unlike us, they cannot walk to the grocery store to get some food -some plankton and bacteria also carry out photosynthesis -Chlorophyll is what gives the plant its green colour -it absorbs sunlight

Equation for Photosynthesis H2O molecules from soil are absorbed into the plant along with carbon dioxide gas In the presence of light, this CO2 and H2O combine to form glucose O2 is a by-product -Ok lets take a plant for example, what does it need to survive? -First of all, when we take care of a plant, what is the most important thing to give it? (water) -Plants also take in what gas from the air? (carbon dioxide) -We’ve figured out the two reactants in the photosynthesis reaction. -Lets put the photo into the equation now (light) -So with this energy, what is the most important product that we can then get from plants (sugar) -And as a useful byproduct, it also releases what gas into the air for us? (oxygen)

Animation http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/photosynthesis.h tml

Cellular Respiration Definition Cellular: of, relating to, or consisting of living cells Respiration: the process in which living organisms produce energy Do you think we undergo cellular respiration? Do you think plants undergo cellular respiration? We both do because we are al living organisms that require energy to survive

Cellular Respiration A process that releases usable energy from the chemical energy stored in “food” molecules (simply put as glucose) Occurs in both plants and animals Happens in the organelle called “mitochondria” -Essentially the opposite of photosynthesis -in plants, these processes happen at the same time -What do you think happens in the night time?

Equation for Cellular Respiration Glucose breaks down to release energy as ATP which supplies our energy needs to function Water and carbon dioxide are created as by-products -Lets take a human here, what does he/she need to survive? -Food! All gets broken down to a simple sugar (click) -What else is crucial in allowing this human being to survive, without it, he/she’ll suffocate (oxygen) **After the magic happens -What does this human then breathe out? -And on the side, water is also produced, which we use for multiple things in our bodies -Ultimately, from eating this sugar, however, what do we have? ENERGY

Animation http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/co ntent/cellularrespiration.html