You are a carbon dioxide molecule in the atmosphere. You see a plant.

Do you…Enter the plant

Stay outside the plant

Light Dependent ReactionsWhen you enter the plant, you see light energy.

Light energy is used to make ATP in light dependent reactions.

The ATP is used to energize light independent reactions

Move On

Game Over

You have now caused the demise of polar bears.

Go Back

Light Independent Reactions

You enter the chloroplast.

Do you:

Enter the light independent reaction

Do nothing

System Error

You cannot do nothing. It is unproductive.

Go Back

Enter the Light Independent Reaction

ATP provides the energy needed for this reaction.

You see a 5-carbon sugar. It menacingly looks at you.

Do you:

Join with it

Run away

Joining the 5-carbon sugar

You quickly make friends with the macromolecule and are now stored as chemical energy.

It is night time and you hear an herbivore. Do you:Remain as stored energy

Expend energy for cellular respiration

Running away from 5-carbon sugar

You are caught

You are Eaten!

The animal eats the plant you are stored in.

Enzymes are used to breakdown glucose (you) and oxygen. Do you:

Continue to be broken down

See if the animal spits you out

Plant Cellular Respiration-Glycolysis

Within the plant glucose (you) move across the cell’s membrane. Glycolysis begins to break you down into pyruvate. Your breakdown also creates the molecules of ATP and NADH.

Continue

Animal Cellular Respiration

You are digested and glucose (you) moves across the cell’s membrane. Glycolysis begins to break you down into pyruvate. Your breakdown also creates the molecules of ATP and NADH.

Continue

Game Over

You are now a lump of chewed up plant, lying on the ground.

Go Back

The Krebs Cycle

As a 3-carbon pyruvate, you are broken down and produce more ATP and NADH.Do you: Biosynthesize

Watch a carbon leave and carbon dioxide

Krebs Cycle Continued

You witness one of the carbon atoms break down and then biosynthesize into carbon dioxide. Do you:Biosynthesize

Watch a carbon leave and carbon dioxide

Krebs Cycle Continued

You are the final carbon remaining in pyruvate. Do you:Biosynthesize

Leave as carbon dioxide

Game Over

You add carbon into the atmosphere. Algae grows out of control now.

Go Back

Biosynthesis

You leave behind the Krebs Cycle.

You now may be synthesized into:Lipids

Amino Acids

Lipids

After you leave the Krebs Cycle, you are biosynthesized into a lipid.

Do you:Stay stored

Wait till the animal starts to move

Staying Stored-Game Over

As a carbon atom in a lipid, you are stored for a long time.

Go Back

Animal Starts to Move

You feel the animal start to move. You hear a loud noise.

Suddenly, you feel warm.

Carry on wayward carbon.

Eaten…Again!

You have been eaten again!

You are broken down into pyruvate. Eventually you are synthesized into an amino acid.

Go Ahead

Amino Acid

You are now biosynthesized into an amino acid, the building block of protein. You have now gone from carbon dioxide in the air to a protein atom. Congratulations, you have traced carbon and energy!

The End!

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