ENVIRON 222 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Sargassum, Seaweed, Autotroph
Document Summary
The oceans - not a bad place to live. Temperature much more uniform than on land (why?) Elements necessary for life present in seawater (why?) Many species of macroalgae have gas enclosures within their structure that enable them to float and stay in the surface waters where there is ample light for photosynthesis. The round ball-like structures in sargassum yendoi (south korea sea) are gas-filled. Organic compounds created by combining carbon, c, atoms into chains or rings. Number and position of elements in other groups of atoms attached to c chains or rings (o, h, n, s, p) Organic compounds can contain hundreds of carbon atoms and attached groups arranged in an enormous number of ways. Even the simplest organisms contain a bewildering array of organic compounds. Primary production: process of converting inorganic compounds to organic matter. Photosynthesis: dominant form of primary production in the ocean and on land. In the ocean, water is abundant and does not limit photosynthesis.
