Photosynthesis+and+Cellular+Respiration

=Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration (Aerobic)= Plants and animals have a very unique chemical relationship in our biosphere. Below are the chemical equations which are the basis for this relationship.

Photosynthesis
..........................sunlight*.............................. Translated: To conduct photosynthesis inside the chloroplast, six molecules of carbon dioxide reacted with six molecules of water using sunlight as a catalyst (and chlorophyll) react to yield one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen gas.
 * 6** CO2 + **6** H2O > C6H12O6 + **6** O2
 * sunlight is a catalyst, not a chemical, for this reaction

Chemical Equation for Cellular Respiration (Aerobic)
C6H12O6 + **6** O2 > **6** CO2 + **6** H2O + **36** ATP Translated: To conduct cellular respiration inside the mitochondria, one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen react with six molecules of carbon dioxide, six molecules of water and a net of thirty-six ATP molecules. The process of aerobic respiration actually makes 38ATP, but 2 ATP are used-up in the process.

As a review from Chapter 6, we know that:

 * coefficients** - are the big numbers in front of the chemical formula for a molecule or compound. A coefficient of 1 is assumed, not written.
 * subscripts** - are the small numbers behind each individual molecule. These indicate the number of molecules that are in a given compound.
 * yields** - indicated by the arrow, shows the direction in which the reaction proceeds.
 * catalysts** - "things" used for the reaction to occur which are not used-up by the reaction

Overview of the relationship:
examples: plants, algae examples: mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians
 * autotrophs** - living organisms that make their own energy ("food") for themselves via photosynthesis
 * heterotrophs** - living organisms that depend upon different organisms for energy ("food")

Overall all heterotrophs depend upon autotrophs for their energy. Autotrophs make their energy using sunlight. Therefore without autotrophs, heterotrophs could not surive. Without sunlight autotrophs, autotrophs could not survive. This does not minimize the reactants for photosynthesis or cellular respiration because without them, neither processes would occur. But for our purposes we say that sunlight is source of all of life's energy on earth.

Within Whom and Where do each occur?
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration occur at the cellular level in cells of autotrophs and heterotrophs. Photosynthesis occurs in the organelle known as the chloroplast using the green pigment chlorophyll. Especially in plants, chloroplasts are located in the leaves of a plants but not all autotrophs have leaves. Algae for example is an autotroph but does not have leaves.

Cellular respiration occurs in the highly folded membranes of the organelle called the mitochondria. Mitochondria are located in all heterotrophs and also in small quantities inside of autotrophs. For example plants do have small amounts of mitochondria.