h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A540451

Hi. I wrote this entry because I thought the existing entry on photosynthesis was inadequate. I tried to keep it uncomplicated.

BTW, I also wrote the article on Mitochondria, and someone said it would be edited, but that was ages ago and nothing has happened... I'm just wondering whether the editors are having a hard time checking up on all the facts.

=)
Jason

Er...what existing entry on Photosynthesis? All I found in a search was a barely started article by Crescent.

Anyway, again excellent Scaryfish, I'm impressed. Good work.

Can't really fault it but it might be interesting to include the fact that photosynthesis is believed to have changed our atmosphere from a reducing one (full of sulphur and CO2) billions of years ago to an oxidising one - the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from photosynthesis and has changed life to what we know it today.
Hmmm. That gives me an idea about maybe doing an article on the speculation as to how life started

small point, it was not the evolution of photosynthesis that caused the flip from a reducing atmosphere to an oxidising atmosphere, it was the evolution of anerobic bacteria. Also, photosynthesis is not the only basic energy source for life, chemovores do just as well as photovores.

Well, I did actually mention that... But I think you'll find that the only chemotrophs (aka chemovores) are clustered around deep sea vents called "black smokers".

In a situation with abundant sunlight, phototrophs are the most significant energy "producers", I think.

=)

"...This does seem to have some substance, as plastid DNA is a loop rather than a string (much like bacterial DNA) and the ribosomes8 plastids use are much more like bacterial ribosomes than they are our own."

A little confusing, why would we expect ribosomes in photosynthesising cells to be similar to our own?

Ahh, yep, fair enough. I'll change it. In fact, ribosomes are almost identical in all eukaryotic cells (plants and animals), and are quite different from those found in prokaryots (bacteria and cyanobacteria).

Fair enough Scaryfish, I was kind of taught both helped this process along but surely oxygen in the atmosphere is pretty important to all forms of life higher than plants, can't think of many animals that would do very well without it.

Anyway, as I said, excellent article, no need to really change anything if don't want to.

This article is good, but it is too technical. You can make it slightly easier for the average person to read without reducing the scientific content of it by adding a few explanatory comments:

You should add an explanation in words of your chemical formula -

Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight --> Sugar + Oxygen + Water

You should mention in the very first line that Photosynthesis is the way by which *plants* make food using only Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere, water and sunlight. You should also point out that this is the main source of food for plants, because many people mistakenly believe that plants get their food from the soil, even after photosynthesis has been "explained" to them. This is not helped by the fertilisers being called "plant food". I've even seen it stated in an encyclopaedia (Arthur Mee's) that plants get their good from the soil, so this misconception is very common.

You should mention that photosynthesis takes place in the green parts of the plants and mention its association with chlorophyll, the thing that gives plants their green colour.

By the way, Scaryfish, it is only 4 weeks since your Mitochondria article was recommended. This is not long in the world of the Edited Guide. If it gets as far as three months and something still hasn't happened (which can happen occasionally), Don't Panic! Just contact the editors directly and point it out to them.

What should happen next is that some day, you Mitochondria article will suddenly appear at the top of your list of Guide Entries with a new article number. The "edit" tag will disappear from it, as a sub-editor tackles it. The sub-editor may introduce himself to you but most of them don't. You can contact them at this stage if you think they have seriously mangled your article. Next the status of the article changes to Pending. It may sit at pending for a week or two, then it will appear on the front page and become a true edited article. At this point, your original unedited article will reappear in your space as well.

I have to agree with Gnomon. The article is very good, but topheavy with chemojargon. Please include infoormashon fur stoopid peepol.
Don't replace the technical stuff with it, just add it to the concoction.

I'll try. I won't be able to do so today, probably not tomorow, but rest assured, it will happen (I'm a bit busy at the moment).
=)

Your article will soon enter the scouting process. I'm still trying to figure out how to work the egroups thingee. Be glad to know that yours will be my first pick.


*Michael Notforyou*
Official Scout, h2g2
Researcher U113408

Cool. I've updated it to (try to) make it a bit easier to understand.

BTW what does that actually mean, it has entered the scouting process? Is that a new thing?

Thanks
=)

Very complete....nothing I could add here if I wanted to...not at my current level of Biology anyway, lol.

Hello,

To clarify, all Edited Guide entries go through a similar process. Usually, they are posted to Peer Review by someone for comments and feedback. There are then volunteers called Scouts (yes, I'm one) who will suggest entries for the Edited Guide. Each scout only gets a few picks a month, so even the best entries can sometimes spend a little time in Peer Review. The Editors then look over the suggested entries and decide if things are good enough or need more work. Approved entries are then marked as 'recommended' and given to one of the Sub Editors who will then clean it up for the final guide. When the Sub Ed is done, your entry is marked 'pending' and it's only a matter of time before it appears on the front page and in the Edited Guide.


Yours,
Jake

Nice entry. Very interesting!

I'd just like to add my 2 penn'th of interference. Note 2 states that plants are taken out of hospital rooms at night. I know they used to do that for the reason you've stated, but do they continue to do it? I was under the impression that they didn't bother any more because the amount of oxygen taken by the plants was so small as to make no real difference to patients.

oops, someone told you a fib. plants don't use oxygen, they use the carbon dioxide that you breathe out, and release oxygen from it.
and the earlier post was right, plants don't need soil, hydroponics (or aquaculture) uses water and a few chemicals, but they must have light.

Plants do still use oxygen for respiration. (that is breaking down glucose into water and carbon dioxide to release the energy). However, they do also perform photosynthesis at the same time, which releases much more oxygen that is used by respiration, so the oxygen they are using for respiration probably does come ultimately from their own photosynthesis.

However, at night plants still perform respiration, and this still requires oxygen, so oxygen is used.

At least that's my understanding of it... Correct me if I'm wrong.
=)

Yeah that's right. Energy absorbed as sunlight is only useful for photosynthesis. If the plant need energy for something else, such as active transport of minerals, converting glucose into other substances or growth, it has to produce this energy by respiration. Plants respire 24/7 just the same as animals.

Congratulations!

Thanks for your recommendation. You'll be glad to know that we think this entry is great, and it has now gone into the Editorial Process for future inclusion in the Edited Guide. When it does get into the Edited Guide, we will email to let you know, but please bear in mind it can take a while for entries to go through the sub-editing system. Thanks for writing for the guide!

This entry has been referred to a sub-ed, and will appear as "Recommended."

*Michael Notforyou*
Official Scout, h2g2
Researcher U113408