Discussion:
Metabolic pathways, oil, and living things
Write a 3-4 page paper that addresses each of the following topics. Use subtitles and headings to organize your paper. Research your answers to the questions below using scholarly sources, including national, university, and government websites, publications, and scientific journals. Cite your references throughout and include a references section at the end.
1. Begin by describing the origin of crude oil deposits in the ocean. What role did photosynthesis play in this process?
Define:
2. The difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph
3. The relationship between a photosynthetic autotroph and a chemotrophic autotroph
4. Why is nitrogen important to living systems?
5. How are these metabolic pathways similar to photosynthesis?
6. From the Urakawa et al. (2012) paper: Why was nitrite production used to measure the activity of the microbes in the study?
7. What is a bioassay? Why did the scientists use it in this study?
8. Which organisms showed sensitivity to oil toxicity? What happened to nitrite production in these organisms? How did nitrite production relate to growth?