Biology (u2 ip&db) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biology (u2 ip&db) - Essay Example 1) â€Å"Sunlight is converted to chemical energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the main energy-storing molecule in living organisms. ATP is then transported throughout the chloroplast and used to provide the chemical energy necessary to power other metabolic reactions† (GlobalChange, 2008, pg. 1). â€Å"Cellular respiration allows organisms to use (release) in the chemical bonds of glucose (C6H12O6). The energy in glucose is used to produce ATP. Cells use ATP to supply their energy needs. Cellular respiration is therefore a process in which the energy in glucose is transferred to ATP† (SUNY, 2008, pg. 1). Organisms that can use photosynthesis to produce glucose are also known as photoautrophs. Examples include soybeans, photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria, bacteriochlorophyll, trees, and house plants. Organisms that can use aerobic cellular respiration to break down glucose to produce ATP are known as lithotrophs. Examples include bacteria and archaea. â€Å"Under anaerobic conditions, the absence of oxygen, pyruvic acid can be routed by the organism into one of three pathways: lactic acid fermentation, alcohol fermentation, or cellular (anaerobic) respiration. Humans cannot ferment alcohol in their own bodies, we lack the genetic information to do so. These biochemical pathways, with their myriad reactions catalyzed by reaction-specific enzymes all under genetic control, are extremely complex. We will only skim the surface at this time and in this course. Alcohol fermentation is the formation of alcohol from sugar. Yeast, when under anaerobic conditions, convert glucose to pyruvic acid via the glycolysis pathways, then go one step farther, converting pyruvic acid into ethanol, a C-2 compound† (Estrella Mountain Community College, 2008, pg. 1) When there is a chemical reaction, enzymes and catalysts lower the activation energy required. Each enzyme catalyzes only one reaction, so there are