AboutWalter Hintz Expertise Science teacher for over 50 years. MSc. in biology. I can answer questions in general biology, zoology, botany, anatomy and physiology and biochemistry.
Experience I have a MSc in biology and have been a science teacher for over 50 years. At present I am a faculty member at a college and a science consultant at seven catholic schools.
Publications The Ohio journal of Science
Momentum-The Journal of the Catholic Education Association
Question I dont understand how photosynthesis and cellular respiration links together. I also dont understnad what ATP. ADP, or NHDS (or something). I dont get alot of things do you think you can go over the key points of photosynthesis and cellular respiration for me?
Answer There is a lot to talk about Sylvea and I do not know what you already know. I will try to summerize things and if I leave something out just get back to me.
Let's start with photosynthesis: This is a very complicated process whereby green plants first capture the light energy of the sun and change it into chemical energy. This energy is stored in a bond called a high energy phosphate bond. These bonds are in large molecules called ADP (adenosine diphosphate and ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
ADP has 2 phosphates and ATP has three. Some is also stored in another molecule called NADH.(forget NAD as most energy is in ATP.) ADP picks up energy and becomes ATP. When energy is needed a phosphate splits off of ATP and it becomes ADP (Got that)
Now the main job of the plant is to make glucose. It does so by combining CO2 and H2O and making C6H12O6. This takes energy and guess where it gets it? From the ATP.
So the light energy is now stored in the sugar molecule.
During cellular respiration the reverse process take place. First we eat the sugar and then The glucose molecule is broken down in a really long process resulting in a lot energy stored in a lot of ATP as well as CO2 and H2O (one molecule of Glucose yields 36-38 molecules of ATP.)
When we need energy we get it by changing the ATP to ADP. Look at thes eequations:
Photosynthesis -6CO2 + 6H2O (plus light) >>>>C6H12O6 + 6O2
Respiration C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6CO2 +Energy
