Week 3 Discussion: Energy for Life / Energy Reactions and Processes

In your primary post, please write a response of at least 250 words to one (1) of the following three (3) bulleted options. In addition, please make a substantive reply to a fellow student on any topic.

Discussion Topic 1. The phytoplankton that brought Earth to life. Review the video (Johnson, 2014) about the “phytoplankton that brought Earth to life” from the link given below, or from the link in the Instructor’s Insights area. This clip is under 5 minutes in length. In this video, Penny Chisholm discusses her interest in a tiny phytoplankton called Prochlorococcus. Based on that video, please address the following:

• (a) Why does Dr. Chisholm say that the ancestor of Prochlorococcus “brought Earth to life”?
• (b) Why it is still important today?
• (c) How do Prochlorococcus samples from different parts of the world compare? What do these geographic variations tell us about organisms.

Discussion Topic 2. Characteristics of ATP. If you choose this topic for your primary post, you must base your post on the instructor’s video about ATP (Cox, 2015). The video can be found in the Instructor Insights area.

• (a) Describe two or more characteristics of ATP, covered in the video.
• (b) Explain how these characteristics are functionally important for the cell.
• Please note that I am looking for specific points that are covered in the video, so material gleaned from Wikipedia or other sources may not meet the requirements.

Discussion Topic 3. Chemosynthesis in the Giant Tubeworm. The Giant Tubeworm (Riftia pachyptila) is an animal that lives on the floor of the ocean, near hydrothermal vents that release very hot, chemical-rich water. In that environment, there is no sunlight, and nothing to eat. Yet these animals are able to get enough energy to live and grow (Deep Marine Sciences, 2015; JKM12988, 2016; Kusek, 2007).

• (a) Where does the energy that Riftia pachyptila needs to live and grow, come from?
• (b) How does that energy get into a form that Riftia pachyptila can use?
• (c) How does this relate to this weeks lessons about energy?

References

Cox, J. F. (2015). Four minutes about ATP. . Please see “Instructor’s Insights” area for Week 3.

Deep Marine Scenes. (2013). Facts: Giant Tube Worms. [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/IddCPTnmj4Q

JKM12988. (2016, December 5). Giant Tube Worms and symbiotic bacteria. [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/dg6ZewBTRj8

Johnson, R. (2014, March 5) The phytoplankton that brought Earth to life. PBS Newshour. Public Broadcasting System. Retrieved from http://video.pbs.org/video/2365193451/

Kusek, K. M. (2007, January 12). Deep-sea tubeworms get versatile ‘inside’ help. Oceanus Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/deep-sea-tubew…

Attachments areaPreview YouTube video Facts: Giant Tube Worms (Riftia pachyptila)Facts: Giant Tube Worms (Riftia pachyptila)Preview YouTube video Giant Tube Worms and Symbiotic BacteriaGiant Tube Worms and Symbiotic Bacteria