Charisse Alyson C.

Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

General Biology Week 1

ACTIVITY # 1:
PART 1: Hugot-lines
A. Create “hugot-lines” based on the laws of transformation of
energy.
- If the amount of energy in the universe stays constant, where does
all the energy I put into toxic relationships go? It’s all give, and no
return; I’m just tired of it all.
- Everything in the universe will eventually succumb into chaos and so
nothing really matters in the end. But at least I got to eat cake.
B. Give justification for each “hugot-line” you will create. Make sure
that the “hugot-lines” are in tune with the scientific concepts of
the law of thermodynamics.
- The first law states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed,
it can only be transformed from one form to another. The point of
my “hugot-line” is to juxtapose my perspective from a personal
experience with the law stated. But actually, The Law of Conservation
of Energy is still upheld because the energy I expended was used to
do work, although for the benefit of others and not mine. That’s why
I got tired; because it was not a fulfilling experience to be used by
others.
- The second law states that due to energy transformations, the
amount of entropy in the universe is continually increasing.
Following the increase of entropy, the dissipation of matter and
energy goes on until our universe becomes so infinitely disordered
that entropy can no longer increase and events come to an end. My
“hugot-line” is influenced by existential dread about the fact that
everything I know now is tied to entropy, and is fated to be erased,
which puts into question the point of life. But looking on the bright
side, I got to experience the many delights of life like eating cake.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

PART 2: ATP in everyday life.

A. Make an analogy relating the concepts under ATP (ATP cycle,
ATP hydrolysis, How ATP allows organisms to do work) or the
relevance of ATP in our lives.
- The ATP molecule is just like a rechargeable battery. When it’s fully
charged, it’s ATP. When it’s run down, it’s ADP. However, the battery
doesn’t get thrown away when it’s run down–it just gets charged up
again. Think of it as the “energy currency” of the cell. If a cell needs to
spend energy to accomplish a task, the ATP molecule splits off one of
its three phosphates, becoming ADP (Adenosine di-phosphate) +
phosphate. The energy holding that phosphate molecule is now
released and available to do work for the cell. When the cell has extra
energy (gained from breaking down food that has been consumed
or, in the case of plants, made via photosynthesis), it stores that
energy by reattaching a free phosphate molecule to ADP, turning it
back into ATP.
B. After listing the analogies or the relevance of ATP in our lives,
write your reflection/realization regarding the topic.
- The body is a complex organism, and as such, it takes energy to
maintain proper functioning. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the
source of energy for use and storage at the cellular level. ATP is
commonly referred to as the "energy currency" of the cell, as it
provides readily releasable energy in the bond between the second
and third phosphate groups. In addition to providing energy, the
breakdown of ATP through hydrolysis serves a broad range of cell
functions, including signaling and DNA/RNA synthesis. ATP synthesis
also utilizes energy obtained from multiple catabolic mechanisms,
including cellular respiration, beta-oxidation, and ketosis. Thus, it is
important to know all about the ATP within cells to understand
cellular activities.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

ACTIVITY # 2:
1. Explain metabolism through creating an appropriate analogy.
Metabolism at its heart is made up of two processes: catabolism and
anabolism. Catabolism the breaking down of substances to get back to
their building blocks. Once we’ve broken down things, we want to
create something useful out of them — this is anabolism.
One way to think about it is a Lego analogy. If someone has a
construction made of Legos and you want to turn it into something
else, you would use catabolism to break up the Lego construction into
individual Lego pieces, and later use anabolism to take these individual
pieces and create a new shape.

2. What is the difference between Catabolic and Anabolic reaction?

How do each process complement one another?
Catabolism breaks down complex molecules and releases energy
which is available for the body to use. Anabolism, on the other hand,
creates molecules the body needs for functionality and it uses energy in
the process. The two pathways complement each other in that the
energy released from one is used up by the other.

3. What is the importance of having exergonic reactions in the

body?
Exergonic reactions are used by living things to move energy out of
“storage” in one molecule, such as a sugar or fat, and into an active form
such as ATP. This is done by breaking the chemical bonds in the sugar
or fat, and passing its energy in the form of electrons or another
currency to a new molecule.
The energy released by an exergonic, or energy-producing, reaction
may be used by other molecules to do work or may be given off as heat.
In a few cases, the energy released in an exergonic reaction is stored as
potential energy in a concentration gradient.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

4. What is the disadvantage if there are not enough endergonic

reactions in the body? Relate this to the ATP cycle.
If there are not enough energy absorptions in the body, cells will
disintegrate and die much faster. We will become weak, and it will
make the process of aging faster, leaving us vulnerable to several
diseases, and ultimately, make us die.

5. What happens when energy transforms to another form? Is the

yield unchanging for every transformation? Why or why not?
While energy is transformed, the total amount of energy does not
change – this is called energy conservation. Some energy becomes
unavailable to do work because most is lost as heat. Transfer of energy
and transformation also makes the matter more disordered.

6. Which law of thermodynamics states that energy transfer or

transformation increases the state of disorder of the universe?
The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy is always
increasing, which is the measure of disorder.

7. Why do we consider living organisms as open systems?

The living organisms are open systems because they have the ability
to maintain a steady state which is considered as the process of
homeostasis. They can exchange both matter and energy with their
surroundings.

8. If free energy is higher, does it mean that the system is more

stable (Y/N)? What does this imply in the amount of work that
can be done?
No, higher free energy results in a more unstable system. As a
system approaches equilibrium, the free energy decreases. When
systems reach maximum stability, the system reaches the state of
equilibrium. If equilibrium is reached then there is no work.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

9. If free energy is lower, does it mean that there is greater work

capacity? (Y/N) What does this imply about the system's
stability?
No, a greater amount of free energy is required for a greater work
capacity. If free energy is lower, the system is more stable.

10. How can you say that a cell has reached equilibrium? What
properties does it display?
When systems such as a cell reach maximum stability, the system
reaches the state of equilibrium. This means that free work is no longer
present. If equilibrium is reached there is NO WORK. In chemical
reactions proceeding equilibrium NO NET CHANGE in the relative
concentration of reactants and products.

11. (Y/N) Is the hydrolysis of ATP reversible? If Yes, explain your

answer.
Yes, like most chemical reactions, the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP is
reversible. The reverse reaction, which regenerates ATP from ADP and Pᵢ
requires energy. This process is known as ATP regeneration.

12. Describe how phosphorylation works (what drives it)?

Phosphorylation is the chemical addition of a phosphoryl group
(PO3-) to an organic molecule. The energy produced from the flow of
electrons drives phosphorylation in which ATP is synthesized via the
addition of phosphor (phosphorylation) to ADP.

13. How does the cell go about the continuous release of heat
during ATP hydrolysis?
ATP is a highly unstable molecule. Unless quickly used to perform
work, ATP spontaneously dissociates into ADP + Pi, and the free energy
released during this process is lost as heat. To harness the energy within
the bonds of ATP, cells use a strategy called energy coupling.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

14. What will happen to the body if the regeneration of ATP is

very slow?
Metabolism could become very slow and the person will become
lethargic at all times. This could be due to the electron chain being
corrupted and not flowing very well. This malfunction caused a slow
regeneration of ATP and resulted in very lethargic disposition.

15. How does the multi-step open hydroelectric system explain

cellular respiration?
Cellular respiration is analogous to this system: Glucose is broken
down in a series of exergonic reactions that power the work of the cell.
The product of each reaction becomes the reactant for the next, so no
reaction reaches equilibrium.

ACTIVITY # 3:
1. How do plants cope with the change in season? Give a detailed
description and explanation.
Plants can respond to the change of season by losing their leaves,
flowering, or breaking dormancy. Plants go through seasonal changes
after detecting differences in day length.

2. How do plants capture the sun’s energy?

Plants capture sunlight using a compound called chlorophyll that is
used in photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the chemical process by
which green plants convert sunlight into sugar. In essence, this process
transforms a wave of light energy into chemical potential energy, which
the plant then stores in the molecular bonds of sugar molecules.

3. What happens to light when it hits an object?

Light, as it encounters an object, is either reflected, transmitted, or
absorbed. Light can also be diffracted or refracted depending on the
substance it goes through.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

4. What wavelength of light is most important to life on earth?

Visible light, with a wavelength of 380–750 nm, is the segment in the
entire range of electromagnetic spectrum that is most important to life
on earth. It is detected as various colors by the human eye. The color
that is not absorbed by pigments of objects is transmitted or reflected
and that is the color of the object that we see.

5. What color/s of light does chlorophyll absorb? What color does it

reflect?
Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light while it transmits and reflects
green light. This is why leaves appear green. Other pigments in the
chloroplast play the part of accessory pigments. These pigments can
absorb light and transfer the energy to chlorophyll

6. What composes a photosystem?

Each photosystem has two parts: a reaction center, where the
photochemistry occurs, and an antenna complex, which surrounds the
reaction center. The antenna complex contains hundreds of chlorophyll
molecules which funnel the excitation energy to the center of the
photosystem. At the reaction center, the energy will be trapped and
transferred to a high energy molecule.

7. In what part of the photosystem does the first step of light

reaction take place?
The light reactions occur in several steps, all of which take place in
the thylakoid membrane. Although it seems to go against logical
reasoning, photosystem II begins the process of photosynthesis. PSII
comes first in the path of electron flow, but it is named as second
because it was discovered after PSI.
Charisse Alyson C. Escudero, 11-STEM-Electra

8. Differentiate the two types of photosystems.

In photosynthesis, there are two structures that are responsible for
the actual conversion of light to chemical energy; they are respectively
named photosystem I and II. The main difference between the two is
their order in the photosynthesis process. Photosystem II begins the
process of photosynthesis by removing an electron from water
molecules and breaking it down to oxygen and hydrogen. The excited
electron produces ATP as it returns to its rest state. At this point, the
electron is once again excited by the photosystem I to a much higher
energy level. The excited electron then produces a NADPH molecule
which is used by the Calvin cycle.

ACTIVITY # 4:
Construct a sketch/diagram on the photoexcitation of Chlorophyll.