GS Question

The natural processes that cellulose undergoes before yielding carbon dioxide, water, and other end products include:

1. Decomposition: The cellulose is broken down by decomposer organisms such as bacteria and fungi. These organisms secrete enzymes that can hydrolyze the cellulose molecules, breaking them into smaller sugar molecules.

2. Fermentation: Some of the smaller sugar molecules produced through decomposition can undergo fermentation by specific bacteria. During fermentation, the sugars are further metabolized, converting them into simpler compounds like organic acids, alcohols, and carbon dioxide.

3. Respiration: Both decomposition and fermentation processes release carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The decomposer organisms and other microorganisms present in the environment respire, using oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide along with water as waste products.

4. Hydrolysis: Certain enzymes in the digestive systems of some animals, like termites and ruminants, can break down cellulose through hydrolysis. Hydrolysis involves the addition of water molecules to the cellulose, breaking the bonds and breaking it down into glucose and other soluble sugars.

5. Digestion and assimilation: After ingesting plant material containing cellulose, some animals have specialized digestive systems with symbiotic bacteria or protozoa that can further break down cellulose into simpler sugars through fermentation or hydrolysis. These simpler sugars are then absorbed and used for energy by the animal.

6. Combustion: When plant material, including cellulose, undergoes combustion (burning), it reacts with oxygen in the air, producing carbon dioxide and water vapor as combustion byproducts.

Ultimately, through these natural processes, cellulose is broken down into simpler compounds like sugars, organic acids, alcohols, and carbon dioxide, which can be recycled within ecosystems or released into the atmosphere as waste products.