Discoveries in Rubisco, Essay Example

Rubisco is an abbreviation for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Simply put, it is considered the most important protein on Earth because it allows carbon dioxide to be used by plants (Portis & Parry, 2007). While this seems like a simple task at first, it is important to consider that many living things and environmental processes rely on the ability for plants to take in carbon. Humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, releasing the latter chemical into the atmosphere. When carbon dioxide exists in large amounts, it contributes to the heating of the atmosphere, which result in temperature shifts. In addition, carbon dioxide is considered poisonous to humans. If there was more carbon dioxide in the environment than oxygen, people would likely suffocate. Last, it is important to consider that plants are the basis of the food chain; as producers, they are able to use sunlight to create energy that organisms higher on the food chain rely upon for survival.

Just as oxygen is needed by humans to survive, rubisco helps plants survive by helping convert the molecule to energy containing compounds like glucose. As a consequence of rubisco’s action, plant life is able to thrive. It is apparent that rubisco contributes to the existence of life on Earth in many essential ways. Eliminating the functionality of rubisco in an experimental procedure would result in the death of the plant. If this were to occur naturally and on a large scale, life would not be possible for many different organisms. While it is possible that life would continue without rubisco, it would likely be in the form of lower level organisms, such as bacteria and archaea.

References

Portis AR, Parry MA. (2007). Discoveries in Rubisco (Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase): a historical perspective. Photosyn. Res., 94(1): 121–43.

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