The Role Of Production Of Carbohydrates Essay

The role of the production of high energy carbohydrates from carbon dioxide as the important step in the stabilisation of the sun’s energy in a form that can be used by animals as well as plants
Because animals have no method of harnessing energy directly from the sun’s energy, they all rely on the production of energy filled carbohydrates by plants. Plants harness the energy in the sun’s rays to convert carbon dioxide and water into organic material (glucose and starches). Because photosynthesis is an endothermic reaction, the covalent bonds which link the atoms of the glucose molecule are storing chemical potential energy, which can be accessed by other plants and animals.

The photosynthetic origins of the chemical energy in coal, petroleum and natural gas
Coal, petroleum and natural gas are called fossil fuels because they are sources of energy which were formed from the burial and decomposition of ancient life forms. When coal and oil are burned, energy is released. This energy has been stored in the chemical bonds of these fuels for many millions of years. The original source of that energy was the sun. The ancient plants and marine organisms absorbed solar energy when they were alive and by the process of photosynthesis converted the energy into chemical compounds. Coal is believed to be derived from plants near freshwater swamps that fell in and were buried quickly and stopped from decaying by the lack of oxygen, while petroleum and natural gas are believed to be formed from the remains of marine protists (such as algae and diatoms) which underwent bacterial decay in the absence of oxygen.