Unit 4
Chapter Overview
Students form an understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration that allow them to compare the two cellular processes. Major features and chemical events that take place during the two processes will be described. Students also form an understanding of the relationship between the reactant and products in terms of energy and matter between the two processes.
Main Ideas
Some organisms are capable of converting light energy into chemical energy (glucose) through photosynthesis.
Organisms extract energy from glucose to produce ATP.
There is an inverse relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration. The cycling of reactants and products of these two processes make one large cycle required to sustain life.
Misconceptions
Students may think the term respiration refers only to breathing, rather than understanding it can also refer to the processes in which a cell converts nutrients into usable energy (ATP).
Students may think cellular respiration only occurs in animals and does not occur in other organisms, such as plants.
Students may think aerobic cellular respiration is the only mechanism for ATP synthesis in cells, rather than understanding that other processes such as fermentation (anaerobic respiration) can also be used as mechanisms for ATP production.
Vocabulary
Photosynthesis – a process which transforms radiant/solar energy from the sun into chemical energy (glucose) <<6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2>>
Cellular Respiration – process which converts chemical energy (glucose) into usable chemical energy for the cell (ATP) <<C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy>>
Aerobic – process that has oxygen, results in more energy (36 ATP)
Anaerobic – process that does not have oxygen, results in less energy (2 ATP)
ATP – the type of energy a cell uses, adenosine triphosphate, it has one more phosphate than adenosine diphosphate which means it has more energy
Reactants – the stuff that get changed into other stuff in a chemical reaction, these things react
Products – the stuff that gets made or produced in a chemical reaction
Notes
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