Photosynthesis; Photosynthesis as a means of Autotrophic Nutrition

Introduction

Carbohydrates are the most prevalent source of energy in food, which is an organic material. Food also includes fats and proteins. Glucose, often known as a simple sugar, is the most basic carbohydrate source. Starch is a much more complicated food that is also generated from glucose. 

Nutrition is the procedure of ingesting and utilising food. During this procedure, the collected food is employed to supply energy for the organism’s different metabolic functions. Organisms employ enzymes, which are bio-catalysts, to do this. As a result, heterotrophs rely on autotrophs for survival, either actively or passively. Here, let us discuss photosynthesis as a means of autotrophic nutrition.

Autotrophic Mode Of Nutrition

The term autotroph is made up of two words: ‘auto’, which means self, and ‘trophe’ which means sustenance. As a result, autotrophic implies “self-feeding.” In autotrophic nutrition, the organisms use solar energy to make food from inorganic raw materials such as CO2 and H2O found in the environment.

Are All Green Plants Autotrophs?

Plants contain cells and tissues, and they are part of a living system that requires energy. They not only create the ecology, but they also expand in size and girth. They lack the necessary nutrients to produce their own nourishment. As a result, the nutritional requirements vary. 

All green plants are autotrophs, meaning they can feed themselves from inorganic chemicals in the environment, such as carbon dioxide and water. Non-green plants, on the other hand, are not autotrophs. Autotrophic bacteria, sometimes known as ‘autotrophic bacteria,’ are autotrophs. All green plants use photosynthesis as a means of autotrophic nutrition.

Types Of Autotrophic Nutrition

Plant autotrophic nutrition may be divided into two types depending on the energy source employed. These are photo-autotrophic nutrition, in which sunlight is the primary source of energy, and chemo-autotrophic nutrition, in which chemicals are the primary source of energy.

Photosynthesis

Autotrophs are plants that can manufacture their own food. However, certain plants, known as heterotrophs, are unable to do so. Photosynthesis is the mechanism through which plants make their food. Photosynthesis takes place mostly in the plant’s leaves, which are often known as the ‘kitchen of the plant.’ But the stems have the ability to perform photosynthesis in some situations. 

Photosynthesis is a process that converts solar energy into chemical energy, allowing the starch to be produced. 

To complete photosynthesis, different sections of a plant perform distinct functions.

• Leaves 

The leaf is divided into multiple layers anatomically. The mesophyll portion of the leaf, also known as palisade parenchyma, is where photosynthesis takes place. The photosynthetic mechanism is carried out by unique cell organelles known as chloroplasts, which are abundant in these mesophyll cells. Chloroplasts, which contain chlorophyll, are a superior structure found in the leaves of vascular plants. With the aid of sunlight and solar power, plants produce glucose using carbon dioxide and water.

• Stomata 

It is found in the lower epidermis of a leaf, which consumes CO2 from the atmosphere. During the day, the stomata in the leaf emit oxygen and water as a by-product. The prepared food is transported to various portions of the facility for storage and use.

• Roots 

Roots collect nutrients and water from the earth and transport them to the plant’s various components. The nitrogen that these green plants obtain from the soil is used to produce proteins.

Sugar is converted into proteins, lipids, and carbs using all of the minerals present in water. Several heterotrophic animals and plants use these dietary elements as a form of energy. This process produces glucose, which is then converted into other molecules such as cellulose and starch, which are stored in various sections of the plant.

Chemoautotrophic Nutrition

The organisms can produce their own food using chemical energy and do not require sunshine. This nourishment could only be possible during nighttime. Nitrosomonas, hydrogen bacteria, and other bacteria are examples. Chemoautotrophic Nutritional Sources are:

• Energy Source: Chemicals (Chemo).

• Carbon Source: Environmental Carbon Dioxide.

Halophiles are a good example (Salt-Loving Bacteria). Halophiles are creatures that live under extremely high levels of salt. They’re a type of extreme-climate organism. The name comes from the Greek phrase for “salt-loving.” Deep-sea bacteria and archaea are microorganisms and bacteria that survive in the ocean’s depths.

Factors Having Impact on Photosynthesis

The following are some elements that, according to their concentration, affect the process of photosynthesis:

• Light
• Temperature
• Oxygen
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Functions Of Photosynthesis As A Means Of Autotrophic Nutrition

By applying autotrophic nutrition, photosynthesis helps the plant perform certain basic functions. 

These functions include: 

• One of the basic functions of photosynthesis is harnessing solar and chemical energy such that they may be combined to generate starch
• Photosynthesis is a process that uses outside molecules to store energy. With the aid of sunshine and chlorophyll, it absorbs water and carbon dioxide and transforms them into carbohydrates
• The plant uses synthesised carbohydrates as its energy source, while the rest is retained as starch in organelles termed chloroplasts, where it may be utilised as an intracellular source of energy later
• Oxygen is emitted into the environment as a waste product. Oxygenic photosynthesis refers to the release of oxygen by plants, algae, microorganisms, and bacteria throughout the process of photosynthesis. It is the most frequent kind of photosynthesis, as practically all plants and creatures employ it. Anoxygenic photosynthesis occurs when plants and organisms eat carbon dioxide but do not release oxygen into the atmosphere as waste material

Conclusion

To maintain constant growth and reproduction, all living creatures require energy and food, and autotrophic nutrition provides that energy and food. Autotrophic nutrition refers to the process by which organisms make their own food from basic inorganic elements such as carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis, as a means of autotrophic nutrition, aids in the production of glucose, which allows plants to execute other processes such as transporting water and nutrients all through the plant and breathing.