Energy is needed in order to sustain life for organisms. Energy cannot be created or destroyed so energy
can be in the form of light, heat, mechanical, chemical, kinetic. Energy is needed for many processes
such as actively transporting glucose in the body. The sun is vital for many organisms as it provides
energy in the source of light and heat which is necessary in order to sustain life.
The sun provides energy into the form of light and falls onto the photosynthetic parts of the plant such
as the leaves. The leaf contains chlorophyll and when lights fall onto the chlorophyll, it excites the
electrons by raising it to a higher energy level. The electrons then leaves the chlorophyll and is passed
down the electron transport chain and energy is lost down the electron transport chain as energy is
needed to pump the protons into the thylakoid space to create an electro chemical gradient. The
protons diffuse through ATP synthase to produce ATP and NADPH. Energy is required to combine ADP
and Pi together to form ATP, this is known as photophosphorylation. In photolysis, light splits water into
electrons, protons and oxygen (H2O--> 2e- +2H+ ½ O2). CO2 binds to ribulose biphosphate (RUbP) which
is then catalyzed by the enzyme rubisco to form two lots of glycerate 3 phosphate (GP). GP is then
reduced to two lots of triosphosphate (TP) by using NADPH and ATP, ATP provides the energy. TP can be
used to create organic molecules such as glucose. TP is then regenerated back to RUbP by using energy
from ATP. This shows energy transfer in photosynthesis as light energy from the sun is converted into
chemical energy as glucose is produced in photosynthesis.
The Pacinian Corpuscle converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. It is made of lamellae which
surrounds the end of the sensory neuron and each lamellae contains stretch mediated sodium ions.
When pressure is applied to the skin, such as touching a sharp needle, the lamellae becomes distorted
which stretches the stretch meditated sodium ion channels to allow sodium ions to diffuse into the
sensory neuron. The flood of sodium ions in the sensory neuron causes the neuron to depolarize
(generator potential). If the generator potential reaches threshold then an action potential can be
created and an electrical impulse (electrical energy) can pass across the sensory neuron by saltatory
conduction, electrical impulses jump from node to node.
There are other receptors such as rods and cones in the retina of the eye. Rods have a pigment called
rhodopsin whereas for cones the pigment is called iodopsin. Both cones and rods are sensitive to light.
Three rods, or more, synapse to one bipolar neuron and allow the vision of black and white. Although
they are sensitive to light, they have low visual acuity which means the image is unclear and poorly
resolved. Whereas for cones, which are mainly present in the fovea, one cone synapse to one bipolar
neuron and they consist of red, blue and green. Cones absorb different wavelengths of light therefore,
they have high visual acuity which provides an in depth image. Light bleaches the pigment, either
rhodopsin or iodopsin, which then creates an electrical impulse which is sent to the optic nerve. This
shows the transfer of energy as energy from the sun in the form of light is then converted to an
electrical impulse which is sent to the optic nerve by saltatory conduction.
can be in the form of light, heat, mechanical, chemical, kinetic. Energy is needed for many processes
such as actively transporting glucose in the body. The sun is vital for many organisms as it provides
energy in the source of light and heat which is necessary in order to sustain life.
The sun provides energy into the form of light and falls onto the photosynthetic parts of the plant such
as the leaves. The leaf contains chlorophyll and when lights fall onto the chlorophyll, it excites the
electrons by raising it to a higher energy level. The electrons then leaves the chlorophyll and is passed
down the electron transport chain and energy is lost down the electron transport chain as energy is
needed to pump the protons into the thylakoid space to create an electro chemical gradient. The
protons diffuse through ATP synthase to produce ATP and NADPH. Energy is required to combine ADP
and Pi together to form ATP, this is known as photophosphorylation. In photolysis, light splits water into
electrons, protons and oxygen (H2O--> 2e- +2H+ ½ O2). CO2 binds to ribulose biphosphate (RUbP) which
is then catalyzed by the enzyme rubisco to form two lots of glycerate 3 phosphate (GP). GP is then
reduced to two lots of triosphosphate (TP) by using NADPH and ATP, ATP provides the energy. TP can be
used to create organic molecules such as glucose. TP is then regenerated back to RUbP by using energy
from ATP. This shows energy transfer in photosynthesis as light energy from the sun is converted into
chemical energy as glucose is produced in photosynthesis.
The Pacinian Corpuscle converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. It is made of lamellae which
surrounds the end of the sensory neuron and each lamellae contains stretch mediated sodium ions.
When pressure is applied to the skin, such as touching a sharp needle, the lamellae becomes distorted
which stretches the stretch meditated sodium ion channels to allow sodium ions to diffuse into the
sensory neuron. The flood of sodium ions in the sensory neuron causes the neuron to depolarize
(generator potential). If the generator potential reaches threshold then an action potential can be
created and an electrical impulse (electrical energy) can pass across the sensory neuron by saltatory
conduction, electrical impulses jump from node to node.
There are other receptors such as rods and cones in the retina of the eye. Rods have a pigment called
rhodopsin whereas for cones the pigment is called iodopsin. Both cones and rods are sensitive to light.
Three rods, or more, synapse to one bipolar neuron and allow the vision of black and white. Although
they are sensitive to light, they have low visual acuity which means the image is unclear and poorly
resolved. Whereas for cones, which are mainly present in the fovea, one cone synapse to one bipolar
neuron and they consist of red, blue and green. Cones absorb different wavelengths of light therefore,
they have high visual acuity which provides an in depth image. Light bleaches the pigment, either
rhodopsin or iodopsin, which then creates an electrical impulse which is sent to the optic nerve. This
shows the transfer of energy as energy from the sun in the form of light is then converted to an
electrical impulse which is sent to the optic nerve by saltatory conduction.
