Heath Cottengim - Photosynthesis Rap lyrics

[Intro: Heath Cottengim] This is an educational video If you don't have your notes in front of you you ain't ready for this This is college level *scratch* right here [Verse 1: Heath Cottengim] Now I don't usually rap about plant life But last night while I sat at a red light I saw a tree just growing and you know I'm going Hey tree, how do you get your energy? I know it's photosynthesis I'm not that dumb I'm asking what's the path that that energy comes from I had to know so I drove home so fast So I could lay down a beat about a chloroplast The organelle with fat stacks of thylakoids Where molecules of water go to get destroyed By that I mean they're oxidized at Photosystem II A protein complex that uses light, to excite, a few... Electrons to a high energy state They'll be powering the proton pumps that will generate Gradient across the thylakoid membrane Looks like we got ourselves another electron transport chain Only this time, protons have been pumped inside If they want to diffuse out, they're gonna have to slide through ATP synthase, the only enzyme you know, that's gonna make ATP whenever there's proton flow How many? Well the Calvin Cycle uuuses 18 ATP for each glucose it produces...I Have to warn you, things are about to get edgy I'm about expose the secret life of veggie [Chorus: Heath Cottengim] Stealing light from the sun, that's the motto Whether you're a bean or tomato. Grand theft auto... Trophs have got the growth phenomenon Built on that famous sugary hexagon Not to mention releasing oxygen gas Promoting evolution and greater bioma** So throw your hands in the air, cuz you know it wouldn't be there if it wasn't for this: photosynthesis [Verse 2: Heath Cottengim] A lot has happened so far, but we're not done Cuz our electron has arrived at Photosystem I All the energy from that initial photon Has been used up by this point and is now gone. One more round of photoexcitation is an indication that we're back up To a high energy elevation, So... The plant, or algae, or whatever, wants to get theeeese Electrons out into the stoma, Which in Caaaase you've been living in a coma, is where the Calvin Cycle goes over and over NADP+ is willing to gain Two electrons and an H in exchange for a name change to... NADPH, a stable coenzyme designed To provide a hydride when it's time. And when it Is, you're gonna need 12 of those s**ers Why so many? Don't look at me! I didn't make the recipe Ha, just kidding, I'll tell you the reason. But first A thesis that I've been meaning to appease. Among these Two molecules on our shopping list, ATP Hits biggest with 18 needed to a**ist That kind of demand demands a better plan than having An electron span both photosystems man Therefore, electron takes a detour before it gets Absorbed by NADP+ and thus like a Television, it's gonna rerun through the ET C and back to photosystem 1 when its done in con... Clusion, ATP deficit? Cyclic transport's fixin' it as long as the area's well lit Now we have the energy we need, invested Chemically, so we can leave like a bird from the nest Cause up next, in the stroma, don't be afraid. We're gonna See how the biological sausage is made [Chorus] [Verse 3: Heath Cottengim] CO2 gets bound to RuBP to make a 6-carbon compound that's about as stable as Mike Tyson on ice skates, so it separates Into 2 molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate Don't worry about RuBP, it's just a Structure pre-made to receive a CO2 upgrade What you need to know is that this combo won't go Without an a**ist from a catalyst called Rubisco Rubisco, this protein, has gotta be The most important enzyme that you've ever seen And you've definitely seen it, most abundant on the planet Making good use of its fixation talent Sliding carbons on the chain so smooth: Crisco Put it on your Bio highlight reel: GoPro “I don't think it'll be on the test.” You wish bro Forget this enzyme and I'll throw you out the window Back to 3-phosphoglycerate, which we Abbreviate to 3PG, the strategy is ATP'll donate a phosphate while NADPH Reduces, which produces, breaking news it's G3P, the three “C” MVP. This compound leaves the chloroplast so fast pa**ed your retina, to make glucose, cellulose, starch, etcetera If the Calvin Cycle ended here that would... Be pretty radical, but the actual Forces us to now get mathematical If you ran the cycle three times, you might think you'd have 6 G3P ready to go, but no, only One of those goes to make a sugar. The rest are gonna Linger, what you need to consider is the 3Ru BPs that were found initially will be Absentee the next round, unless we rebound Let me help you get the sense of what's about to go down 5 G3Ps condense to-3-sequences-of 5, keeping alive, the carbon end of the Bargain, but we're starving without the icing on the Cake: a phosphate, three P's please Don't forget this is us paying the debt for-the-three RuBP we spent at the cycle's onset Guys let's try to summarize in under a minute 6 of Calvin's cycles sights the arrival of the 2 G3Ps that are the keys to the puzzle to make One glucose, which'll cost us both a lot of ATP and NADPH, specifically 18 and 12 respectively, effectively the Calvin Cycle's batteries. Hope your next test or Project gets you good looks. I'm off to Write another chapter in the hip-hop textbook [OUTRO: Heath Cottengim] Woo, yeah, no excuses now You better have not forgot about Rubisco already Shout out to your mom, Mother Nature Don't hate us cuz we're making that glucose, son...light Powering the world's number one reaction