Cells As The Basis Of Life

1.3a: Energy Transformations 1

12BIO
This lesson covers

- The forms of energy required by, and produced for the body.
- The process of photosynthesis, the method of glucose acquisition in
plants.
- The ATP molecule, how it works and how it is used.
The Law of Conservation of Energy
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to
another.
Without a continued and sustained input of energy, life cannot exist.
Chemical

Chemical Light

Light Thermal

Kinetic

Cells require inputs of suitable forms of energy, including light energy or

chemical energy in complex molecules.
 The Sun and Life
The sun provides all life on
Earth with all of its energy.
Others cannot, and
must consume other
organisms to obtain
glucose.

Some organisms are able

to use light energy to
produce glucose.

The sun is the main source of energy for life.

Autotrophs and Heterotrophs

Autotroph Heterotroph
Synthesises organic Consumes other organisms
molecules from inorganic to obtain glucose.
sources.

Distinguish between autotrophs and heterotrophs.

Autotrophs

Photo-Autotroph Chemo-Autotroph
Synthesises organic Synthesises organic
molecules using sunlight. molecules using other
chemical energy sources.

Distinguish between autotrophs and heterotrophs.

Question 1

Heterotrophic, but not autotrophic, organisms

Release carbon dioxide and water as products of respiration.

Manufacture their own organic molecules for their nutrition.

Rely on carbon dioxide and water for their nutrition.

Rely on existing organic molecules for their nutrition.

What Happens to the Glucose?

Respiration

Glucose Adenosine Triphosphate

Energy transformations occur within all living cells.

Photosynthesis
Light energy that falls on leaf cells
absorbed and ‘trapped’ in a pigment
known as Chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll is found within the grana

of the chloroplast.
This light is converted into glucose
and starch through photosynthesis.
Some steps of photosynthesis are
light-dependent, while others are
light-independent.

Recognise that photosynthesis is important in the conversion of light energy into

chemical energy.
Photosynthesis
Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis
A limiting factor is a factor that affects
the rate of a process.

What stops a plant from

photosynthesising continuously?

A few of the factors that you might

consider are:
● Carbon dioxide concentration
● Amount of light
● Enzyme-related factors, such as
temperature and pH.
Recognise that photosynthesis is important in the conversion of light energy into
chemical energy.
Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis
Carbon Dioxide-limited
1. Light intensity increases,
photosynthesis
more light available, greater
rate of photosynthesis. Free
carbon dioxide remains.
2. Light intensity still increases,
but rate of photosynthesis
does not. This is because the
plant is utilising all free
carbon dioxide available.

Light intensity

Recognise that photosynthesis is important in the conversion of light energy into

chemical energy.
Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis

Recognise that photosynthesis is important in the conversion of light energy into

chemical energy.
Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis

Recognise that photosynthesis is important in the conversion of light energy into

chemical energy.
Question 2

Two identical plants were placed in two different rooms, Room A and Room B. Each room
had the same level of carbon dioxide. After 5 minutes, the level of carbon dioxide in Room
B had fallen, but the level of oxygen in Room A had remained the same.

What is the most likely cause of this outcome?

Temperature was a limiting factor in Room A.

Temperature was a limiting factor in Room B.

Carbon Dioxide was a limiting factor in Room A.

Carbon Dioxide was a limiting factor in Room B.

Using Energy
All active processes in a cell require energy.
Energy can be transferred by either breaking
down the bonds of large molecules, or
creating bonds.
● Anabolic Reactions: Smaller molecules
are built into larger molecules (this
requires the formation of bonds and thus
energy).
● Catabolic Reactions: Larger molecules
are broken down into smaller molecules.
This releases free energy.

Recognise that energy is required to break chemical bonds and energy is released
when new bonds are formed.
ATP
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is seen as the
second-most important molecule in a cell. Each
cell contains millions of units of ATP.

● ATP is not energy. Instead, it is a convenient

‘holder’ of energy, the majority of which is
found in the chemical bond holding the second
and third phosphate group.
● Energy is released when this bond is broken.
This free energy is used to power one of the
cell’s many processes.

Recognise that energy is required to break chemical bonds and energy is released
when new bonds are formed.
ATP

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is formed when free

energy is used to combine an ADP molecule (a
molecule with just two phosphate groups, and a
free inorganic phosphate (pi).

The free energy required for this is provided by the

breakdown of glucose in a process called
respiration.

Describe the formation of ATP from ADP and Pi .

ATP

When energy is required, a breakdown of the bond

holding the second and third phosphate group
together on a unit of ATP is broken, causing the
molecule to split into one ADP molecule and one
inorganic phosphate molecule.

While not all processes require energy, those that

do are called active processes.

Describe the formation of ATP to ADP and Pi which releases energy for some
metabolic reactions.
Question 3

The synthesis of ATP from ADP and inorganic

phosphate results
From an output of energy from the breakdown of glucose.

In an output of energy from the breakdown of glucose.

In an output of energy from the synthesis of glucose.

From an input of energy from the synthesis of glucose.