Science 9 Biology Q1 Week 6-7
ECOSYSTEM: Life Energy
Introduction
All organisms require energy in order to survive. Energy and matter constantly move
around in cycles within the ecosystem. In the previous lesson, you learn how the different threats
cause species extinction and understand how to prevent this in an ecosystem.
In this chapter, you will learn how organisms obtain energy from the food, the processes
involved in making food and how organisms produce energy.
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. define photosynthesis;
2. describe the process of making food by plants and stages of cellular respiration; and
3. explain the importance of photosynthesis and respiration.
Try this!
In your Science notebook, complete the table below by writing the raw materials and the
end products of photosynthesis.
Raw Materials End Products
1
Science 9 Biology Q1 Week 6-7
Think ahead!
Do you have any idea what photosynthesis is? If yes, how does photosynthesis works?
Share your thoughts with me.
Read and Ponder
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
The ultimate source of energy is the sun, which sustains all life-forms on Earth. Plants are
called producers because plants can directly make use of the sun’s energy, enabling them to
make their own food. Thus, plants are good providers to almost all organisms.
The process by which plants and other autotrophic organisms make their own food is
called photosynthesis. Plants trap the sun’s energy, converting it into chemical energy. The
presence of chlorophyll allows plants and other autotrophic organisms to make their own food. It
requires light energy (sun), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water (H2O) to make food (sugar).
Photosynthesis can only take place in the presence of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a green
pigment which contains chloroplast, a special structure that absorbs and traps sunlight. There are
two stages of photosynthesis: Light- Dependent Reaction (Light- Trapping Phase) and Light-
Independent Reaction (Sugar- Building Phase). But the whole process can be summarized by the
chemical equation below:
chlorophyll
Carbon dioxide + Water Sugar + Oxygen
(CO2) (H2O) sunlight (C6H12O6) (O2)
2 Stages of Photosynthesis
Light- Dependent Reaction (Light- Trapping Phase)
This reaction happens in the presence of light. It traps and converts light energy
into chemical energy which happens inside the thylakoid membrane. Since water is one
of the raw materials in photosynthesis, it facilitates the formation of free electrons and
oxygen. The energy collected at this stage is stored in the form of Adenosine
Triphosphate (ATP) and Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Hydrogen
(NADPH) which are needed in the next stage.
2
Science 9 Biology Q1 Week 6-7
Light- Independent Reaction (Sugar- Building Phase)
The Light- Independent Reaction is also known as the Calvin Cycle which does
not require sunlight, but instead powered by ATP and NADPH, which are created in the
light-dependent reaction. Plants absorb carbon dioxide. Thus, this carbon dioxide is
converted into sugar (glucose) that is used by plants in the structural building material.
CELLULAR RESPIRATION
Respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis. Take note that respiration is not the same as
breathing. Respiration is a process of breaking down food molecules to produce energy, carbon
dioxide and water. The energy is harvested in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate).
Respiration follows long, complex processes that involve glycolysis, Krebs cycle (citric acid
cycle), and electron transport chain.
Glycolysis
Glycolysis is the first step of cellular respiration which occurs in the cytoplasm of
the cell. Glycolysis is an anaerobic process of breaking down glucose into pyruvate.
In glycolysis, the glucose, which is a 6- carbon sugar, is broken down into 2
molecules of a 3-carbon molecule called pyruvate. The overall reaction of glycolysis is
written simply as:
C6H1206 + 2 ADP + 2 NAD+ + 2 P 2 C3H403 + 2 H2O + 2 ATP + 2 NADH + 2 H+
In words:
Glucose + 2 Adenosine Diphosphate + 2 Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + 2 Phosphate
2 Pyruvate + 2 Water + 2 Adenosine triphosphate + 2 Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + Hydrogen ions
Krebs Cycle (Citirc Acid Cycle)
Krebs cycle, named after Hans Krebs, is a chemical reaction used by organisms to
generate energy through the oxidation of acetate from carbohydrates, fats and proteins
into carbon dioxide. The citric acid cycle occurs in the matrix of mitochondria.
During the citric acid cycle, the end product of glycolysis which is the 2 pyruvate
loses its carbon to form a 2 molecule of acetyl- CoA (an important molecule in
metabolism). For each acetyl-CoA, 3 NAD+ are reduced to NADH, one molecule of
FAD is reduced to FADH and one molecule of ATP is produced. In other words, the
citric acid cycle overall reaction is written as:
3
Science 9 Biology Q1 Week 6-7
2 acetyl groups + 6 NAD+ + 2 FAD + 2 ADP + 2 P 4 CO2 + 6 NADH + 6 H+ + 2 FADH2 + 2 ATP
In words:
2 acetyl groups + 6 Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + 2 Flavin adenine dinucleotide + 2
Adenosine Diphosphate + 2 Phosphate
4 Carbon dioxide + 6 Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen + 6 Hydrogen + 2 Flavin
adenine dinucleotide hydrogen + 2 Adenosine triphosphate
Electron Transport Chain
The electron transport chain releases a large amount of chemical energy stored in
NAD+ (NADH) and reduced FAD (FADH2). The energy released is captured in the form
of ATP (3 ATP per NADH and 2 ATP per FADH2).
Cellular respiration is summarized using the equation
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ATP + 6CO2 + 6H2O
See if you can do this!
QUIZ 6
Directions: In your Science notebook answer the following.
A. Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.
______1. Glycolysis requires oxygen.
______2. Algae are capable of photosynthesis.
______3. Animals perform photosynthesis,
______4. The nucleus captures the sun’s energy.
______5. The sun is the ultimate source of energy on Earth.
______6. The light- independent reaction is a sugar building phase.
______7. Glucose has a 6- carbon molecule.
______8. Respiration breaks down carbohydrates to produce energy.
4
Science 9 Biology Q1 Week 6-7
______9. The Krebs cycle occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell.
______10. Citric acid cycle is also called Krebs cycle.
B. Essay.
11-15. If you eat a meal that contains all proteins and no carbohydrates, will you be able to
produce ATP?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
References:
You and the Natural World (The New Grade 9)
K + 12 Grade 9 Science Module
