In this post, we will discuss What is the importance of the light-independent reactions in terms of carbon flow in the biosphere? Throught this biology question about Photosynthesis, we can understand better about the Photosynthesis to prepare for the MCAT test.
What is the importance of the light-independent reactions in terms of carbon flow in the biosphere?
In terms of carbon flow in the biosphere, what is the importance of the light-independent reactions?
- The light-independent reactions use CO2 to make ATP.
- Light-independent reactions turn glucose, a sugar, into CO2 gas.
- Light-independent reactions turn sugar into ATP for energy.
- The light-independent reactions turn CO2, a gas, into usable carbon in the form of sugars.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use light energy to synthesize carbon dioxide and water into organic matter, release oxygen, and convert light energy into chemical energy for storage in the manufactured organic matter in the chloroplast.
Through photosynthesis, green plants make organic matter and release oxygen to provide nutrients for organisms in the biosphere… Without photosynthesis, humans would not have food and various living things. In other words, without photosynthesis, there would be no human survival and development.
Photosynthesis is a photochemical reaction. Therefore, the photosynthetic rate increases or decreases according to the light intensity. In the dark, photosynthesis stops, while respiration releases CO2.
As light increases, the photosynthetic rate gradually increases and approaches the respiration rate. Finally, the photosynthetic rate and the respiration rate reach a dynamic equilibrium.
Principle of photosynthesis
Plants, unlike animals, do not have a digestive system. Therefore they must rely on other means of nutrient uptake. Plants are what are known as autotrophs.
In the case of green plants, the stomata of the plant close when the light intensity is too strong, resulting in a reduction in the intensity of photosynthesis. They use sunlight energy for photosynthesis to obtain the nutrients necessary for growth and development.
The key players in this process are the internal chloroplasts. Chloroplasts, in the presence of sunlight, convert carbon dioxide that enters the interior of the leaf through the stomata and water absorbed by the roots into substances such as starch, while releasing oxygen.
Photosynthesis is the process of converting solar energy into active chemical energy in ATP and then into stable chemical energy in organic matter.
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle refers to the exchange of carbon in the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth, and the cycle continues with the movement of the Earth.
The carbon cycle in the biosphere is mainly manifested in the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by green plants, which is converted into glucose and releases oxygen through photosynthesis with the participation of water, and then used by organisms to synthesize other organic compounds.
Organic compounds are passed through the food chain and become part of other organisms such as animals and bacteria. The carbohydrates in the organism are partly oxidized to carbon dioxide and water by respiration as an energy source for the organism’s metabolism, and the energy stored in them is released.
The carbon cycle is a process by which the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is completely renewed about once every 20 years. Most of the carbon in nature is stored in the rocks of the earth’s crust. The carbon in the rocks is broken down by various natural and anthropogenic chemical processes and enters the atmosphere and the oceans.
At the same time, dead organisms and other carbon-containing materials keep returning to the earth’s crust in the form of sediments. This forms part of the global carbon cycle. The geochemical cycle of carbon controls the transport of carbon between sediments on or near the surface and the atmosphere, biosphere, and oceans.
In the biological cycle of carbon, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants and converted into organic matter through photosynthesis. It is then converted from organic matter to carbon dioxide by biological respiration and bacterial decomposition and enters the atmosphere.
The biological cycle of carbon includes the transport of carbon between animals, plants, and the environment.
Correct Answer
Below is the correct answer to What is the importance of the light-independent reactions in terms of carbon flow in the biosphere?
In terms of carbon flow in the biosphere, the importance of the light-independent reactions is light-independent reactions turn CO2, a gas, into usable carbon in the form of sugars.
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