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Ireland fascinating-molecules

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1. The document outlines 10 steps of magnification from a cherry leaf to a single carbon atom, showing progressively smaller levels of structure and components. 2. Key components that are visible at different levels of magnification include starch grains, chloroplasts, light-harvesting antennae, chlorophyll molecules, and ultimately individual carbon atoms. 3. The document also provides brief explanations of important plant molecules like starch, cellulose, RuBisCO, DNA, and chlorophyll and their roles in plant structure and functions like photosynthesis.

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10 steps to the atom 1. A cherry leaf at actual size. 2. A cherry leaf magnified 10 times 3. An aphid and leaf surface x100 4. A section of a leaf x1000 The orange particles are starch grains 5. A single cell filled with chloroplasts x10,000 6. A single chloroplast in close-up x100,000 7. ultra-structure of the chloroplast x1,000,000 8. The light-harvesting antennae which trap the energy of sunlight x10,000,000
9. A single molecule of light-harvesting Chlorophyll x100,000,000 10. A single Carbon atom x 1,000,000,000 5 million would fit in a millimetre. The original leaf, if we had kept enlarging it in size, would be well past the sun at this scale! STARCH plants convert glucose to starch as a storage carbohydrate. The glucose molecules are joined together into a 3-dimensional molecule. Each starch grain is potentially a single molecule. It is the main compound in all our plant crops, including wheat, barley and potatoes. Starch is easily broken down into Glucose by both plants and animals. CELLULOSE plants convert glucose to cellulose, a fibre-like molecule that gives reinforcement to cell walls and thus leaves, stems and wood. The glucose molecules are joined together in long unbranched chains. Cotton, paper and linen are all made from cellulose. Unlike starch, cellulose is difficult to digest. RuBisCO (Rbulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase Oxidase) the most abundant protein on earth. 30-50% of all leaf protein consists of this single enzyme. It catalyses the reaction of 5-carbon sugars with carbon dioxide ultimately making the carbohydrate glucose. The earths biosphere is entirely dependent upon this step to build carbon life from sunlight. Deoxyribo Nuclei Acid is the basis of genetic material. Using a four letter code (A, T, C & G) this molecule provides the blueprint for all the genes in humans and all other life on earth. The helical structure, with 2 matching strands allows DNA to make exact copies of itself, passing on the genes to every cell and to the next generation. Chlorophyll this amazing molecule is capable of trapping the energy of sunlight and using this energy to strip electrons from water molecules liberating oxygen which nearly all life is dependent upon; in addition it charges up energy-rich molecules which provide the fuel to power the RuBisCO molecule turning carbon dioxide into sugars and so running the entire carbon cycle.

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Ireland fascinating-molecules

  • 1. 10 steps to the atom 1. A cherry leaf at actual size. 2. A cherry leaf magnified 10 times 3. An aphid and leaf surface x100 4. A section of a leaf x1000 The orange particles are starch grains 5. A single cell filled with chloroplasts x10,000 6. A single chloroplast in close-up x100,000 7. ultra-structure of the chloroplast x1,000,000 8. The light-harvesting antennae which trap the energy of sunlight x10,000,000
  • 2. 9. A single molecule of light-harvesting Chlorophyll x100,000,000 10. A single Carbon atom x 1,000,000,000 5 million would fit in a millimetre. The original leaf, if we had kept enlarging it in size, would be well past the sun at this scale! STARCH plants convert glucose to starch as a storage carbohydrate. The glucose molecules are joined together into a 3-dimensional molecule. Each starch grain is potentially a single molecule. It is the main compound in all our plant crops, including wheat, barley and potatoes. Starch is easily broken down into Glucose by both plants and animals. CELLULOSE plants convert glucose to cellulose, a fibre-like molecule that gives reinforcement to cell walls and thus leaves, stems and wood. The glucose molecules are joined together in long unbranched chains. Cotton, paper and linen are all made from cellulose. Unlike starch, cellulose is difficult to digest. RuBisCO (Rbulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase Oxidase) the most abundant protein on earth. 30-50% of all leaf protein consists of this single enzyme. It catalyses the reaction of 5-carbon sugars with carbon dioxide ultimately making the carbohydrate glucose. The earths biosphere is entirely dependent upon this step to build carbon life from sunlight. Deoxyribo Nuclei Acid is the basis of genetic material. Using a four letter code (A, T, C & G) this molecule provides the blueprint for all the genes in humans and all other life on earth. The helical structure, with 2 matching strands allows DNA to make exact copies of itself, passing on the genes to every cell and to the next generation. Chlorophyll this amazing molecule is capable of trapping the energy of sunlight and using this energy to strip electrons from water molecules liberating oxygen which nearly all life is dependent upon; in addition it charges up energy-rich molecules which provide the fuel to power the RuBisCO molecule turning carbon dioxide into sugars and so running the entire carbon cycle.