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Chemistry in the Environment:
Photosynthesis and Respiration: Energy for Life
- Solar energy reaches Earth in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
- The wavelengths that make up visible light have an additional and very crucial role to play in the maintenance of life.
- Plants capture light and use it to make energy-rich organic molecules such as carbohydrates.
- Animals get their energy by eating plants or by eating other animals that have eaten plants. So, ultimately, virtually all of the energy for life comes from sunlight.
- In chemical terms, how is this energy captured, transferred from organism to organism, and used? The key reactions in these processes all involve oxidation and reduction.