Why do plants have chlorophyll and we don't? Why can't scientists take the chlorophyll from a plant and insert it into animals so we can produce food by ourself?
Plants have evolved to become photoautotrophs taking the energy from sunlight and using it in their metabolism. Chlophyll is used in plants, algae and even bacteria.
The process of photosynthesis; extracting energy and giving off oxygen from light, takes place using proteins in the surface layer of one cell organ (organelle) that higher animals do not have namely the thylakoid membranes of choloroplasts. They can convert sunlight to ATP; the cells energy thereby producing the oxygen the planet needs. It also produces NADPH which is responsible for converting carbondioxide into building blocks for the plant itself. Chlorofyll is a pigment; an organic molecule able to absorbing energy from the sun. It can deliver a charge that the proteins can use. The pigment itself is however not alone in producing energy.
So, if we would eat chlorofyll which we do every day when we eat salad for example our cells cannot use it to give energy, because our cells do not have that organ. Plants are in sunlight all day long to get energy and when it is winter with less sunlight they are able to live on very little energy. So this is why scientist cannot make our bodies produce plant food.
Why we can't is an effect of evolution where a long line of random events and complex adaptation of biological systems in response to these random events produced all the different wonders of nature we see today. And the randomness goes on. Sometimes very different species have found different ways to end up with similar solutions to a problem that faces both species. So maybe one day animals will not be able to live they cannot use sunlight to derive energy and then maybe if given enough time and haphazard events we will come to use chlorofyll the same way plants do.
Remember:
Why and how are the best questions you can ever ask, and if I didn't explain 'why' well enough I expect another why or how!
Plants have evolved to become photoautotrophs taking the energy from sunlight and using it in their metabolism. Chlophyll is used in plants, algae and even bacteria.
The process of photosynthesis; extracting energy and giving off oxygen from light, takes place using proteins in the surface layer of one cell organ (organelle) that higher animals do not have namely the thylakoid membranes of choloroplasts. They can convert sunlight to ATP; the cells energy thereby producing the oxygen the planet needs. It also produces NADPH which is responsible for converting carbondioxide into building blocks for the plant itself. Chlorofyll is a pigment; an organic molecule able to absorbing energy from the sun. It can deliver a charge that the proteins can use. The pigment itself is however not alone in producing energy.
So, if we would eat chlorofyll which we do every day when we eat salad for example our cells cannot use it to give energy, because our cells do not have that organ. Plants are in sunlight all day long to get energy and when it is winter with less sunlight they are able to live on very little energy. So this is why scientist cannot make our bodies produce plant food.
Why we can't is an effect of evolution where a long line of random events and complex adaptation of biological systems in response to these random events produced all the different wonders of nature we see today. And the randomness goes on. Sometimes very different species have found different ways to end up with similar solutions to a problem that faces both species. So maybe one day animals will not be able to live they cannot use sunlight to derive energy and then maybe if given enough time and haphazard events we will come to use chlorofyll the same way plants do.
Remember:
Why and how are the best questions you can ever ask, and if I didn't explain 'why' well enough I expect another why or how!
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Plants have evolved to become photoautotrophs taking the energy from sunlight and using it in their metabolism. Chlophyll is used in plants, algae and even bacteria.
The process of photosynthesis; extracting energy and giving off oxygen from light, takes place using proteins in the surface layer of one cell organ (organelle) that higher animals do not have namely the thylakoid membranes of choloroplasts. They can convert sunlight to ATP; the cells energy thereby producing the oxygen the planet needs. It also produces NADPH which is responsible for converting carbondioxide into building blocks for the plant itself. Chlorofyll is a pigment; an organic molecule able to absorbing energy from the sun. It can deliver a charge that the proteins can use. The pigment itself is however not alone in producing energy.
So, if we would eat chlorofyll which we do every day when we eat salad for example our cells cannot use it to give energy, because our cells do not have that organ. Plants are in sunlight all day long to get energy and when it is winter with less sunlight they are able to live on very little energy. So this is why scientist cannot make our bodies produce plant food.
Why we can't is an effect of evolution where a long line of random events and complex adaptation of biological systems in response to these random events produced all the different wonders of nature we see today. And the randomness goes on. Sometimes very different species have found different ways to end up with similar solutions to a problem that faces both species. So maybe one day animals will not be able to live they cannot use sunlight to derive energy and then maybe if given enough time and haphazard events we will come to use chlorofyll the same way plants do.
Remember:
Why and how are the best questions you can ever ask, and if I didn't explain 'why' well enough I expect another why or how!