Hidden Nature

Fig. 14.5. Photosynthesis.

are responsible for the two creators of life, water and photosyn-

thesis (see Fig. 15.6).^10

We have noted a correspondence between times in the past

when forests predominated on the Earth, and with major evolution-

ary surges. It seems that trees have this magical role to fine-tune the

proportion of atmospheric gases, particularly oxygen. The 'normal'

proportions are O 2 (oxygen) 20.95%, CO 2 (carbon dioxide) 0.3%, N

(nitrogen) 78.08% and rare gases 0.93%, though recent years have

seen an increase in CO 2 and a decrease in O 2 due to human activi-

ties. When we say that life creates the atmosphere (effectively the

'greenhouse'), the symbiotic relationship is exceedingly complex

and miraculous.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Without plants there could be no life. Plants convert sunlight into food by a process known as photosyn-

thesis. They extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, water from the soil and exhale oxygen:

1) Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) + Water (H 2 O) = Photosynthesis + O 2

in this way carbon dioxide and hydrogen combine and molecular oxygen is released (vertical arrow)

2) CO 2 + H 2 O + LIGHT -> CH 2 O (theoretical carbohydrate) + O 2

(C 6 H 12 O 6 = glucose, the simplest form of carbohydrate)

3) Mg + H 2 O + CO 2 + plus LIGHT -> Chlorophyll + O 2

(green pigment + molecular oxygen)

The same elements in (3) above produce two important further reactions:

(4) Mg + H 2 O + CO 2 - minus LIGHT -> MgCO 3 + H 2

(magnesium carbonate + molecular hydrogen)

or (5) Mg + H 2 CO 3 [carbonic acid] - minus LIGHT -> MgCO 3 + H 2

(magnesium carbonate + molecular hydrogen)

In (4) and (5) the Mg can be replaced with calcium (Ca), which produces calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 )
instead of magnesium carbonate, but with the same release of molecular hydrogen.
These two almost identical, but still different combinations of magnesium, CO 2 and H 2 O are the prereq-
uisites for the two principal carriers of life, namely water and photosynthesis (creation of chlorophyll and car-
bohydrates). One of these takes place in daylight (the visible world) and the other in darkness (the invisible
world). In the day zone, O 2 is released and the overall amount of oxygen increased, whereas in the night-zone,
hydrogen is released, leading to the rebirth of water through its combination with oxygen.

HIDDEN NATURE