Photosynthetic microorganisms can live near deep sea hydrothermal vents, in the absence of light energy. How do these organisms make a living near the hydrothermal vent? Be sure to include sources of energy, electrons, and carbon for these organisms.
What will be an ideal response?
Photosynthetic H2S oxidizers (green sulfur bacteria, like Chlorobium species) fix carbon from CO2 at the bottom of the ocean. These microbes use oxidation of sulfur (from H2S) to get electrons and they obtain energy not from sunlight, but from heat that is emitted from the reaction zone of hydrothermal vents. Chlorobium species use Photosystem I to get energy, which has a bacteriochlorophyll that absorbs energy at 840 nm. Heat energy from hydrothermal vents is in this range, so can be used by Chlorobium to excite electrons in its Photosystem I. Chlorobium can then run Photosystem I to generate energy for the cell.
You might also like to view...
Molecules that are required for the Calvin cycle include: Check all that apply.
_____ H2O. _____ CO2. _____ NADPH. _____ rubisco. _____ ATP.
Which of the following regarding enzymes is true?
a. Enzymes are lipids. b. Enzymes are carbohydrates. c. Enzymes are proteins. d. Enzyme are nucleic acids.
Which of the following statements is not correct?
a. Water heats up and cools down very quickly. b. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water 1 ?C is one calorie. c. Due to hydrogen bonds, water has a high surface tension. d. Large bodies of water have relatively constant temperatures. e. When one gram of water evaporates, it removes heat.
During which of these eras were dinosaurs dominant?
A) Mesozoic B) Cenozoic C) Precambrian D) Paleozoic