Give examples of bioenergetics processes and structures that

Give examples of bioenergetics processes and structures that all living organisms share.

Solution

Living organisms are capable of undegoing bio-energetic processes in order to sustain life. Similarly, the living organisms have differenty types of cellular strucutres which help them in performing those bio-energetic processes effeciently. The nature and complexity of these bio-energetic processes depend upon the complexity of the cell/organism. For example, whereas aerobic respiration would be present in higher organisms such as green plants, the same would be absent in sulph-philic bacteria.

However, the basic bio-energetic processes which drive the biological processes require energy in the form of ATP or GTP or NADH or NADPH etc. These bio-energetic molecules are derived from various biological processes which can be highly diverese in nature and mechanisms. Although the end-product is similar for all the organisms, the underlying mechanisms might differe. An example of such a bio-energetic process includes metabolic combustion of organic fuel such as a source of carbon in the form of glucose by lower photosynthetic bacteria/algae and higher plants.

Similarly, organisms have been evolved with presence of specific cellular structures/compartments which help them in performing these bio-energetic processes. Since these bio-energetic and metabolic processes are highly diverese in function, compartementalization of cells has played a crucial role in efficient function of these bio-processes. Examples of these specific structures include photo-systems, pigement centres, mitochondria, plastids, chloroplasts etc.

Thus, presence of diverese bio-energetic processes and structures make it possible for lower and higher organisms to perform highly efficient and thermodynamically stable functions and thus sustain life.