Beautiful example ! Thank you !Ygggdrasil said:ATP is not an energy source, but an intermediate molecule that carries energy in the short term. For example, humans ultimately get their energy from the foods they eat. The body burns (i.e. oxidizes) these fuels in order to generate ATP, which then goes on to power various processes within the cell. Similarly, chemosynthetic bacteria oxidize inorganic substances and harness that energy to generate ATP.
As an analogy, people generally liken ATP to paper money and call ATP the energy "currency" of the cell. You ultimately earn money by producing material goods (i.e. by making a useful product like a chair or an app). You can then trade these goods for money, which can then be used as to pay for a number of other goods and services (whereas you normally would not be able to pay for your lunch with a chair). Similarly, cells "trade" the various food molecules (e.g. cabohydrates, fats, amino acids) into ATP molecules, and can use these ATP molecules to power a number of other cellular processes (so that these enzymes don't need to handle many different types of food molecules).
Just one question.How do you say that oxidizing inorganic substances can produce energy ?Ygggdrasil said:Similarly, chemosynthetic bacteria oxidize inorganic substances and harness that energy to generate ATP.
In general, this statement is not true, but for the inorganic substances that these bacteria use as energy sources (hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, hydrogen, etc.), the oxidation of these compounds produces energy. It all has to do with the reduction potentials of the compounds involved. If the species gaining electrons has a higher reduction potential than the species losing electrons, the reaction will occur spontaneously its free energy can be used to power other processes.Docscientist said:Just one question.How do you say that oxidizing inorganic substances can produce energy ?
Chemosynthetic bacteria obtain energy by using chemical reactions instead of sunlight like photosynthetic organisms. They use chemical compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, or methane to produce energy.
The process of chemosynthesis involves converting inorganic molecules, such as hydrogen sulfide or ammonia, into organic molecules that can be used for energy. This process is carried out by specialized enzymes within the cell.
Chemosynthetic bacteria can be found in a variety of environments, including deep sea hydrothermal vents, hot springs, and even within the bodies of other organisms. They are able to thrive in these extreme environments because of their unique ability to obtain energy from chemical sources.
Chemosynthesis and photosynthesis are similar processes in that they both involve the production of organic compounds for energy. However, photosynthesis uses sunlight as the source of energy, while chemosynthesis uses chemical compounds.
Chemosynthetic bacteria play a crucial role in many ecosystems, particularly in environments where sunlight is not available. They are important for cycling nutrients and energy within these ecosystems, and also serve as a food source for other organisms.