1. One of the topics covered this week is the production of internal biological energy. We also use the energy produced during other biological and chemical processes to fuel our way of life. Review the ecological footprint questionnaire found at https://www.footprintcalculator.org and post an entry in this discussion with your results. How do you compare to the global average? Are you surprised by the results based on your lifestyle? Do you have a desire to improve? If so, in what areas do you think improvements would be most logical for you?
2. And post 2 interaction posts.
Professors Introduction to Week 3:
Last week we introduced cells as the basic unit of structure and function in living organisms. But in order to function, a cell needs energy.
Many living organisms, including humans, ingest food to gain energy. The organism’s digestive system breaks down the food’s larger biological macromolecules, like starch, into smaller biological molecules, like sugars. When those sugar molecules are broken down, biologically useful energy, in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is produced in the process of cellular respiration.
Other organisms, such as plants, algae and some microorganisms, can convert light energy from the sun to chemical energy stored in biological molecules (sugars) in the process of photosynthesis. As a human, your food comes from either plants and/or animals that eat plants. This means that the energy in your body all originated from plant photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, we wouldn’t be able to get the energy we need from our food.
This week, we will look at the various pathways cells use to convert energy, and the ways they acquire what they need for metabolic reactions.
The living cells of every organism constantly uses energy. Cells import molecules, metabolize or otherwise modify them, then transport them around the cell, and sometimes out of the cell to other parts of the organism.
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions that occur in a living organism. A key feature of metabolism is that chemical reactions often make the materials needed for other chemical reactions. Metabolism both builds bigger molecules from smaller ones and dismantles molecules to release atoms and energy.
Photosynthesis is one of the most important sets of chemical reactions in all of nature for more than just the energy it converts. In addition to being the pathway through which energy and carbon (in the form of glucose) enter the web of life, it also releases oxygen into the environment. Life as we know it would not exist without photosynthesis. This is quite an important role in nature!
Public Domain. net/en/view-image.php?image=178553&picture=photosynthesis”>https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=178553&picture=photosynthesis
See below for examples, and also reply to both:
DB 1 (Tucker Corey):
I completed the quiz and found out that if everyone lived like me, we would need 6.2 earths and my overshoot day would be February 28th. I knew that my number would probably be higher than most due to me using a considerable amount of energy for cryptocurrency mining (~1 kWh), but I did not expect it to be that high. Most of my numbers seemed to be on the low side, such as how many miles I drive per week. The main thing that I could afford to change is shopping at more local stores. There are plenty of farm stores nearby my house that sell fresh fruits, meat, and vegetables. I would like to be using more renewable energy, but that is not logical where I live. I am surrounded by trees so I am unable to get solar power and harnessing wind energy would not work either. Getting renewable energy via a company is also not logistically possible because of the monopoly the power company holds over my town. Housing is one thing that I would not like to change. I enjoy the privacy that I have at my house and I would not give that up to live in a more environmentally friendly apartment.
DB2 (Jennifer Sauceda):
My results were:
Earth overshoot day: Mar 7th
If everyone lived like me: 5.5 Earths
Ecological Footprint: 9.4
Carbon Footprint:15.6
I was a little surprised by these results. If everyone lived like me, we would need 5.5 Earths compared to the average of 5 Earths. I do try to track and limit my energy usage and based on those results I try to accommodate to what I can to be more energy efficient. Also, there are other factors that come into play. For example, I have a two-year-old so when winter rolls around I am perfectly okay keeping the heat a little lower but for him not so much. Since I do drive myself to work every day, I chose to purchase a car that is fuel efficient as well. One thing that I could possibly change are my eating habits and try to limit my animal-based protein intake. Over all I did not think that my lifestyle habits had such a big ecological impact but apparently I was very wrong.
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