Energy In—Energy Out

Life is a marvelous, complex system of prolonging order, all sustained by energy. The pathways by which cells trap and use this energy are photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. Dr. Jeanne Erickson relates her research of the photosynthetic process that splits water in the chloroplast of a single-cell alga. Along the way, the program explains the roles and importance of photoautotrophs, heterotrophs, the light-dependent phase, carbon fixation, and the Calvin-Benson cycle.

Dr. Paul Saltman describes the three stages in aerobic respiration: glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron transport phosphorylation. He later explains another form of cellular respiration: fermentation. It is illustrated by active yeast in the beer-brewing process.

Learning Objectives
After completing all assignments in this lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Outline the general flow of energy and matter in the living world, noting the relationship between photosynthesis and aerobic cellular respiration that cycles carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water.
2. Describe the key steps of the light-dependent and light-independent reactions of photosynthesis, noting the raw materials required, the end products, and the location for each phase.
3. Describe basic leaf structure and the functional advantages it offers plants.
4. Compare chemosynthesis and photosynthesis as energy-acquiring processes.
5. Describe the three major stages of aerobic cellular respiration, noting the raw materials and products of each phase.
6. Distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic energy-releasing pathways, and identify the requirements and energy-producing efficiency of each process.
7. Understand how proteins and fats can be used as alternative energy sources in the aerobic respiration pathway.
8. Describe how the development of photosynthesis altered the evolution of life on Earth.
9. Describe some of the methods scientists use to study life’s energy-acquiring and energy-releasing pathways.

Rights granted with the purchase are a) life of media audiovisual use, b) public Performance, c) single institution close circuit performance d) single institution distribution via an electronic, password-protected network transmission, but not for other broadcast, satellite or Internet distribution.

Ideal for grades 10-12 and post secondary
Duration: thirty minutes
Closed-Captioned
©Coast Learning Systems