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As far as I know, most of the CO2 in plants goes to respiration for energy production. Not saying it doesn't go to mass, as well, but it's the energy side of th
by djacobs 16y ago
As far as I know, most of the CO2 in plants goes to respiration for energy production. Not saying it doesn't go to mass, as well, but it's the energy side of things that people learn in elementary school.
We're not stupid, and this man needs to think about his accusations before he blogs about them...
- ErrantX 16y agoIn defence I don't read his points as being "you're stupid" but more about the fact that we don't think about what we are talking about. The Ask question... wrong! thing strikes me as simply a device to make this point.
- djacobs 16y agoI don't think his premise is true. He says we were all taught photosynthesis in elementary and high schools and now all we know is a phrase that has no meaning for us. In fact, no one teaches the whole story of anything in biology before college, and not everyone takes college bio. Those of us that did knew the answer. It's a question of how far into biology you've studied...
- InclinedPlane 16y agoAre you aware that cellulose is just interlinked glucose molecules? A tree is basically a giant hunk of hydrated sugar byproducts with some minor mineral and other components.
- djacobs 16y agoYes, very. I could tell you all about the glycosidic linkages. Some observations: Polysaccharides are not sugars. Mono- and di-saccharides made of carbohydrates are. Glucose has other uses than becoming cellulose or starch or glycogen. The life cycle of a plant is not linear or simplistic. CO2 is not only used as a substrate in anabolism.
- ars 16y agoAnd what does a tree do with this energy? It's not a light bulb. It uses the energy to split the oxygen off of the CO2, splits the oxygen of off water, and makes hydrocarbons from the C in CO2 and the H in water. The oxygen is released as waste (a small amount is used). So all the energy used in a tree is devoted to making its mass.
- djacobs 16y agoMy point again is not that CO2 doesn't become cell mass. It is that in elementary/high school, kids are not taught that. Kids do learn the concept of photosynthesis. They just learn the energy side and not the big picture. So the author's assertion that people use "photosynthesis" without knowing what it means is false.