ABSTRACT
The original development of thermodynamics found its inspiration in the steam engine. The Josiah Willard Gibbs free energy defines the energy available for useful work from a chemical reaction. The glucose must be converted biochemically to all of the proteins, lipids, other carbohydrates, and nucleic acids necessary for cell growth. All cells require nitrogen in the form of ammonium to support the synthesis of proteins. The light gathering pigments only occupy a fraction of the cell’s total area available for light gathering. So many photons simply miss the light gathering pigments. In a pond system, the effect of light saturation can be overcome by having sufficient depth and concentration of algae so that deeper cells absorb the light which is not captured by upper cells. Microbial growth always involves two basic reactions: one for energy production and one for cellular synthesis assuming ammonium is available for cell nitrogen.
