The photosynthesizers – the microorganisms
Here are a few representatives of the myriad of organisms able to perform
photosynthesis on earth today. Humans have been seriously trying to reproduce
this trick in the last few decades, without real success yet.
Euglena, famous pond water dweller
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This single celled organism is a eukaryote, a
complex cell with chloroplasts, nucleus, and
many other elements inside. They live in fresh
water and move to the best spot using a
photosensitive eyespot to follow the light.
Ode to photosynthesis–blue-green algae
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In fact they were badly named, they are not
algae at all, but bacteria: Cyanobacteria is
their proper name. They live in lakes and
oceans and occasionally produce blooms that
can be seen from space.
Purple bacteria I
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Mostly purple, but not always. They are
pigmented by bacteriochlorophyll and
carotenoids, giving them a colourful range of
purples, pinks and oranges. They
photosynthesize without producing oxygen as
a by-product.
Purple bacteria II
One type, purple sulphur bacteria, deposit
elemental sulphur –brimstone – instead.
Others oxidise iron to form rusty banded iron
formations.
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The photosynthesizers – the lichens
Lichens are symbiotic organisms, where fungi and algae work together to exploit
sunlight and create glorious stains on trees and tombs. These are foliose lichens,
with small, flat leaf-like structures.
Highgate resident, yellow on yew tree
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The marked contrast of yellow lichen on dark
bark is quite common in cemeteries. They are
at their best when they catch the setting sun
light.
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Highgate resident in pink
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Tombs are frequently covered by lichens, and
the dates on the stones have been used to
date the lichens.
Highgate resident in green
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As lichens can occur from sea level to high
mountains they are a very familiar view. It is
estimated that 6% of the Earth’s surface is
covered by lichens.
The mechanics of photosynthesis – the chloroplasts
Chloroplasts are the magic making masters. Inside the chloroplast, the pigment
chlorophyll seems to turn light into matter, in fact using the energy of sunlight to
make organic molecules. Chloroplasts were free-living cyanobacteria once!
The magnificent seven
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Chloroplasts in a plant cell, in this case a
spinach leaf. The stacks of thylakoid
membranes are where the action takes place.
The dark spots are starch granules
Partners in crime I – mitochondria and
chloroplasts
These two organelles, both descending from
bacteria, work very closely together. Here the
plant mitochondria have curved cristae, and
the endothelium reticulum curls around both.
Partners in crime II – mitochondria and
chloroplasts
The nucleus takes a large portion of these
images, yet is a peripheral player, merely a
repository of genes. The membranes of these
organelles are playing organic figures over an
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active cytosol background, the factory floor.
The light sensitive wall (moss leaf)
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This is a moss leaf, where chloroplasts are
packed tightly into each cell. This view has
geometrical regularity, held in place by the
cell walls, without losing the impression of
fluid organic movement.
The mechanics of photosynthesis – the roots
Roots are the underground arm of the operation, absorbing and transporting
water and minerals to the stems and leaves. Here we see roots in section, a
microscopic view that classifies flowering plants into dicots and monocots.
Sicilian sun – Tomato root
The mandala is a spiritual symbol or diagram used
to aid meditation and relaxation. The regular
pattern of the tomato root can have a similarly
mesmerising effect.
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Mexican sun – Maize root
Corn was domesticated in Mesoamerica in
prehistoric times. Many varieties exist today. This
root has different layers that represent stages of
growth.
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English sun – Buttercup root
Not the most common image that comes to mind
when you think of a buttercup, but this is still a
true representation of the beautiful flowering
plant.
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Spanish sun – Sarsaparilla root
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These flowering plants belong to the genus
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Smilax, and are common in temperate zones. As a
monocot, they can make true wood.
Menorca sun – Pine stem
Stems also have a mandala structure when seen
through the microscope. In this image, the
Mediterranean pine has bark around as the
external layer.
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The results of photosynthesis – banded iron formations
In the beginning, there was no oxygen, and iron dissolved in the oceans. When
photosynthesis got going, oxygen began to accumulate in the atmosphere and
oceans. Some of the dissolved iron oxidised – rusted – and precipitated to the
sea floor. Sedimentary layers of iron covered the bottom of the oceans making
some of the most stunning and colourful geological records.
The what – The Z scheme
A Z shaped diagram is sometimes used to explain
the light-dependent reactions that take place
during photosynthesis. As banded iron formations
take many shapes, ‘Zs’ are not uncommon, and a
suitable nod to the mechanisms that produced
them.
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The where – Royal Institution
As distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are
almost always of Precambrian age, they predate
the creation of the Royal Institution. But the
connections of the Ri with photosynthesis and
with light in a wider sense are many over the
years.
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The who – Odra Noel
And it is a personal allowance to read your name
in the clouds of the sky and the layers of the
rocks; I have done it quite literarily here. This
work is not otherwise signed, only dated.
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