The simple story of photosynthesis and food - Amanda Ooten

光合作用與食物的故事 - Amanda Ooten

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Hao-Wei Chang 審譯者: Jephian Lin

Ever wonder where most of the food

你曾好奇大多數

you eat every day comes from?

你每天吃的食物從何而來嗎？

Well, about 60% of the food you eat

嗯，大約 60% 你吃的食物

is carbohydrates.

屬於碳水化合物。

As you can probably tell from its name,

而你大概可以從它名字知道

carbohydrates contain carbon,

碳水化合物包含碳

hydrogen,

and oxygen.

氫

和氧

But where do these atoms originally come from

但是這些原子從何而來？

and how do they join together

又如何結合在一起

to make delicious foods like fruits and pasta?

組成像是水果 和麵團這些美味的食物？

It actually all starts with the air

其實這一切都始於

you are exhaling this very minute,

你呼出的每一口氣

specifically the carbon dioxide molecules.

尤其是其中的二氧化碳分子

Plants are going to breath in

植物會藉由

this very same carbon dioxide

表皮上稱為「氣孔」的特殊孔洞

through pores in their skin, called stomata.

吸收這些二氧化碳。

Plants drink in water from their roots

植物從根部吸收水

to get the needed oxygen and hydrogen atoms,

以取得氧和氫原子，

and their electrons,

以及它們的電子，

in order to build carbohydrates.

並用來建構碳水化合物

What is that thing?

那是什麼？

Well, that's a special plant organelle

嗯，這是植物

inside the leaves of plants

葉片中的特殊胞器

called a chloroplast.

稱為：葉綠體。

It's green beceause of a special light-absorbing pigment

它的綠色是因為 含有特殊吸收光線的色素

called chlorophyll.

稱作：葉綠素。

Each leaf has about 44,000 cells

每片葉子大概有 4.4 萬個細胞

and every cell can have anywhere

而每個細胞中

between 20 to 100 chloroplasts.

大約有 20 到 100 的葉綠體。

That's up to 4,400,000 chloroplasts!

總共高達 44 萬個葉綠體呢！

By now, you've probably guessed

現在你大概猜的到

that we're talking about the process of photosynthesis

我們在講 光合作用的過程

and you might be wondering

而你可能會好奇

when the sun is going to make its entrance.

陽光是如何參與其中。

Let's go back to that original molecule of water.

我們在回到一開始看的水分子。

The plant has to split this molecule of water

植物必須裂解水分子

so it can get electrons from it.

以得到其中的電子。

But, the plant can't pull that water apart by itself.

但植物本身不能將水分裂。

It needs help from the high-energy rays of the sun.

它需要太陽的高能光線。

So now that the chloroplast has all the building blocks

現在葉綠體就有所有原料 ——

- carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and electrons -

碳、氫、氧和電子 ——

it can use them to go through

它可以讓它們

the rest of the steps of photosynthesis

走完整個光合作用

to transform that original carbon dioxide gas

並將原本的二氧化碳氣體

into a simple carbohydrate called glucose,

轉化成被稱為葡萄糖 這種最簡單的碳水化合物

C-6-H-12-O-6.

C 6 H 12 O 6。

That little glucose molecule then helps to build

小小的葡萄糖分子可以建造

bigger and better carbohydrates

更大更多用途的 碳水化合物

like cellulose.

像是纖維素。

Cellulose is a type of carbohydrate found in plants

纖維素是一種可以在植物中找到

that our body cannot break down.

而我們身體不能分解的碳水化合物。

We call it fiber

我們稱之為纖維

and we eat it in vegetables like lettuce,

而我們可以從像是萵苣、

broccoli,

and celery.

青花菜、

和芹菜等青菜中攝取到。

Plants use cellulose to keep themselves strong.

植物用纖維素保持硬度。

The plant could also turn that glucose into starch,

植物也可以將葡萄糖組化成澱粉，

a large molecule that stores energy for the plant.

這種植物用來儲藏能量的大分子。

We love eating starch from plants like potatoes,

我們喜歡從像是馬鈴薯、

corn,

and rice.

玉米、

和稻米中吃進澱粉。

So you see, when you eat plants,

你看，當你在吃植物時，

we're actually benefiting from photosynthesis.

你其實是受惠於光合作用。

The plant makes things like starch,

植物製造澱粉一類的養份，

which we eat

而我們食入後

and then break back down into glucose,

降解成葡萄糖，

the first form the plant made.

也是在植物在 製造時最原始的形式。

Then, the mitochondria in our cells,

然後，我們細胞中的粒腺體，

powered by the oxygen we breath,

由我們呼吸得到的氧氣驅動，

can turn glucose into pure energy molecules

將葡萄糖轉變為

called ATP.

稱為 ATP 的能量分子。

ATP powers all work done

ATP 為你身上任何一個細胞

by each and every one of your cells,

進行任何一種工作時提供能量。

things like communication,

例如：溝通、

movement,

移動、

and transport.

和搬運。

But why do we have to turn that glucose into ATP?

但是為什麼我們必須 將葡萄糖轉換成 ATP ?

Well, think of it like this.

嗯，讓我們從這個角度想吧！

You're excited to start your summer job

你對你在冰淇淋攤的

at the local ice cream stand,

暑期工作感到興奮，

but your boss has just told you

但你的老闆剛告訴你

that she is going to pay you in ice cream cones.

她會以甜桶支付薪水。

What are you going to be able to do

那你能怎麼處理

with those ice cream cones?

這些甜桶呢？

Nothing,

什麼也不能。

which is why you kindly asked to be paid in dollars.

這就是你為什麼 會要求以金錢支付薪水。

ATP is just like dollars.

ATP 就像是貨幣。

It is the currency that all cells of life use

它是細胞間共通的貨幣

while glucose is,

而葡萄糖卻

well, kind of like ice cream.

像是甜桶一樣。

Even plants have mitochondria in their cells

即使在植物細胞中也有

to break down the glucose they make into ATP.

可以將葡萄糖分解成 ATP 所需的粒腺體。

So as you can see,

所以你會發現，

humans and plants are intricately connected.

人類和植物用一種精巧的方式連結。

The air we breath out

我們呼出的空氣

is used by plants to make the carbohydrates

被植物用來製造 我們喜愛的

we enjoy so much.

合成碳水化合物。

And, in the process,

在此過程中，

they are releasing the very same oxygen molecules

釋放出我們需要吸入

we need to breath in

來讓粒腺體用來分解

in order that our mitochondria can break down

碳水化合物大餐

our delicous carbohydrate meal.

的氧氣。