Question

1. Provide two (2) examples of energy conversions in living things:

a. Plants                         b.   Animals

Answer 1

All organisms need energy to carry out basic life processes. Organisms uses the energy in one or more than one form. To use the energy in different ways energy must be converted. The process of conversion of energy is called energy transformation. Energy can be converted from one form to another form with any loss according to law of conservation of energy. Energy can be converted from 1) chemical energy into electrical energy 2) light energy to chemical energy 3) electrical energy to mechanical energy etc.

In plants and animals, energy conversion take place. Let us discuss first in plants. In plants, light energy is converted into chemical energy by the use of a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process in plants which they prepare their own food form CO₂ and H₂O by the use of sunlight in chloroplast of plants.

6CO₂ + 6H₂O ---^sunlight -----> C₆H₁₂O₆ +6O₂

The above chemical reaction represent the process of photosynthesis by which the whole planet organism drives energy. In which, the sunlight is converted into chemical energy and is stored in the formed glucose (carbohydrate).

Energy from the Sun is taken up by the plants, which absorb that energy in their chloroplasts. Energy Oxygen Plants can reuse these products with the input of energy from the Sun. 2 CO 2 2 2 Energy used in chloroplasts to created ordered energy -rich sugar molecules. In the process, they convert the highly ordered sugars into carbon dioxide and water, a disorganized form Hao 2 Water Sugars CH OH 2 OH OH Glucose Animals use the sugars to produce their own "energy currency" through the mitochondria The energy source for animal life processes. Sugars also Sugars available to plants to use for their own purposes. the animals for food

Animals are mainly dependant on plants for their energy requirement. They ate plants or their products as food (carbohydrate) in which chemical energy is as ATP. On ATP hydrolysis or respiration, the chemical energy is converted into mechanical energy (Muscle). ATP hydrolysis or Respiration take place in three major steps:-

1) Glycolysis

2) TCA or creb cycle and

3) Electron transport chain.

During this conversion, some amount of energy is lost as Heat which is also a example of energy conversion .