BioSec 2012: Elizabeth

Elizabeth's BioSec Notes

(Organized by class dates) Brain dumps, useful insights, points of confusion, it's all here.

Feb 1

Readings for the class: Chapter 6: Cellular Respiration Chapter 7: Photosynthesis

Both chapters address how cells make ATP and other byproducts.

  * not a lot of discussion about how the two processes fit together (I mean, photosynthesis is the more important because it creates the glucose for cellular respiration to use?)
  * much of the in-depth chemistry was confusing 
  * In Ch 7, I didn't fully understand the last section about photorespiration and how plants avoid it
     * what is the problem, really?
     * I understand that the C4 cycle resolves it

Possible application-y thoughts

  * both photosynthesis and cellular respiration involve a lot of cyclical processes (like loops, I suppose) that transform one product into another
  * the cellular structure model seems like it could be applied to computers (and is similar to what exists), but maybe the metaphor could be extended to be larger?
  * what would ATP map to in the computer world? Information output?
  * It seems that the processes are finely tuned so that most of the by-products (except energy lost in heat) get used - is there a moral in that story?