Introduction
Food. It's one thing that people cannot do without. Strangely enough, binging and purging are activities that the species of humans are accustomed to, at the height of their superiority on Planet Earth, so to speak.
Balance is key in an effort to maintain one's fitness with extremes (at either end!) not being acceptable. Look at these anorexic types as well as those who live in denial by eating everything in sight and expecting everyone to just love them while they hold to these habits that shorten the duration of their lifespan.
The expectation, by itself, is unrealistic and is along the lines of Mark Twain's "If I had a drinking problem, I'd drink all the time".
The rest of the species on Earth don't seem to have this problem, and know exactly when to stop when they've had enough. After too much of anything no matter how good it is will be a bad thing.
In the case of plants, the way they make food is by the process of photosynthesis, and it should be noted that on the cessation of this natural process, all life on this earth can begin to count the number of days they will survive.
And the reason for this: the release of oxygen that is vital to the lives of every living creature on this planet, including us all-knowing humans as well.
Photosynthesis
If you've had the pleasure to fill your house with plants like some of us have had, the bottom line for plants to make food is the availability of sunlight and water. Period.
And since they're not necessarily mobile, they are dependent on other agents in nature to help them in sourcing these vital requirements for their survival and growth.
From the chemical reaction perspective of photosynthesis, what goes in (absorbed by the plants) is CO2 and water and what comes out is oxygen (a by-product) while the simple sugars are used for food.
And this is done by harnessing the light energy of the sun, which works to convert the carbon-dioxide into simple sugars. The light-grabbing business is taken care of by the pigment known as chlorophyll while the roots of the plants ensures that it absorbs minerals and water (not unless you get off your a** and water those plants yourself), thus bringing both necessary ingredients together in order to begin the first stage of photosynthesis known as the light-dependent reactions.
In a process known as carbon fixation, the carbon-dioxide absorbed is converted into sugar like glucose and by storing them in molecules known as ATP and NADPH.
In the second stage of photosynthesis that does not depend on the presence of light, these products are captured and carbon-dioxide which is captured from the atmosphere is reduced to ultimately form sucrose and starch.
In Closing
In danger of sounding repetitive, this unique yet universal process is what most lifeforms depend on, as the release of oxygen is vital to the survival of all of mankind. So, get busy and plant a tree or at least save trees from being cut down. It isn't something that we can afford to take lightly…
312 views