Okay. Since you clearly have comprehension issues, let us go over this again. I will type very slowly so that you can understand. BTW, I do appreciate that you took the trouble to go back and dig up my exact words.
where you said:
"Wonderful. Just keep reminding her that every bit of food on the table was atmospheric carbon dioxide just a few short months ago."
Hmm. Still as true now as it was when I originally typed it. So what if mushrooms or other fungi are in their meal? Fungi, just like everything else, incorporate biological molecules--containing carbon--into their bodies. And regardless of whether their carbon source is fermented animal dung--the usual substrate of commercial mushrooms--or decayed wood, it still originated as atmospheric carbon dioxide. As I said before, no exceptions.
"All biomass is converted CO2. No exceptions."
Why is this so difficult to understand? CO2 is the molecule that plants, some protists, and some bacteria extract from their environment (whether they are on land, in the sea, or in some other environment) and convert into lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates through photosynthesis. Other organisms then consume them and incorporate those biomolecules into their bodies. This is true of *all* organisms that do not photosynthesize (and some that do).
Do you remember where I gave you those two exceptions in post #31 of that thread, namely:
1.) Mushrooms in my back yard consuming a tree that has been dead for years, (so not atmospheric CO2 a few short months ago and clearly an exception.)
So, you know for a fact that the person I had addressed those comments to is planning to eat [potentially toxic] mushrooms picked from the tree in your back yard? Those mushrooms which you seem to believe [incorrectly] do not contain carbon that was originally atmospheric CO2?
and
2.) Oceanic CO2 coming from undersea volcanoes and being consumed by oceanic plants - CO2 that has never been in the atmosphere, (another exception.)
Maybe the carbon cycle chart I posted was not detailed enough? Some carbon dioxide that gets dissolved in the ocean converts to carbonates that sink to the bottom of the ocean. At the edge of the continental plates, that mass of carbonates is subducted under the opposing plate, where it is dissolved into the hot magma and released in volcanoes as CO2. All of the CO2 cycles through the air and water, although some of the cycles may take thousands or millions of years.
and then I asked you if you would like to discuss anaerobic life processes?
Again, no exception. Anaerobes use biomolecules to form their bodies, and, just as with aerobes, those biomolecules were originally formed from CO2 through the process of photosynthesis. The fact that anaerobes do not use O2 as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain--which affects how they use energy--does not alter the fact that they are carbon based organisms.
No exceptions still means no exceptions.
Have you ever even taken a biology, chemistry, or physics class?
"Maybe the carbon cycle chart I posted was not detailed enough? Some carbon dioxide that gets dissolved in the ocean converts to carbonates that sink to the bottom of the ocean. At the edge of the continental plates, that mass of carbonates is subducted under the opposing plate, where it is dissolved into the hot magma and released in volcanoes as CO2. All of the CO2 cycles through the air and water, although some of the cycles may take thousands or millions of years."
That
was a nice little graphic you posted Mom, but unfortunately it does not prove your point. ALL of the CO2 coming out of the undersea volcanoes I mentioned does not come from subducted limestone. SOME of it comes from that source, but not ALL of it and hence ALL of it has not been cycled through the air and water and hence the oceanic plant life that is busily creating biomass out of this CO2 is not creating biomass out of CO2 that has
ever been in the atmosphere.
Don't believe me that all of the CO2 coming out of volcanoes does not come from limestone, Mom? Of course you don't. I wouldn't expect you to believe anything that might lead to you having to admit to having made an error -- but maybe you, in all of your educated wisdom, could enlighten me... If all CO2 coming out of volcanoes comes only from limestone (your apparent contention,) how would you explain the CO2 spewing volcanoes on Venus where the
atmosphere is ~96% CO2 and where there has never been any life to create any limestone?
Or is Venus too far away for you Mom? Then maybe you could enlighten me as to the concentration of CO2 on this planet
before life appeared and started laying down limestone?
Yep, it looks like your
"All of the CO2 cycles through the air and water" statement is just another Mom attempt at knowing it all while actually not even knowing what she doesn't know.
Shall we continue, Mom?
When I said, would you like to discuss anaerobic life processes, you replied:
"Again, no exception. Anaerobes use biomolecules to form their bodies, and, just as with aerobes, those biomolecules were originally formed from CO2 through the process of photosynthesis."
Well golly gee Mom. here is a link to an article by
Professor G. Jeffrey Taylor, Ph.D at the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology <
link> that states:
"Recent research on deep rocks on Earth has shown that bacteria can live kilometers beneath the surface. Some bacteria live on nothing but rock and water, extracting energy from chemical reactions rather than from sunlight."
I guess those particular biomolecules Dr. Taylor is describing would be an exception to your statement that all
"those biomolecules were originally formed from CO2 through the process of photosynthesis"
Yep. Once again Mom, we have another exception to your
"No exceptions" statement.
Are you ready to admit to making just one little, itsy-bitsy mistake yet Mom?
Of course you're not, so let's keep going a little longer. It's all just for fun Mom, so lets enjoy this!
Your statements,
"Wonderful. Just keep reminding her that every bit of food on the table was atmospheric carbon dioxide just a few short months ago."
and
"Hmm. Still as true now as it was when I originally typed it. So what if mushrooms or other fungi are in their meal? Fungi, just like everything else, incorporate biological molecules--containing carbon--into their bodies. And regardless of whether their carbon source is fermented animal dung--the usual substrate of commercial mushrooms--or decayed wood, it still originated as atmospheric carbon dioxide. As I said before, no exceptions."
do not disprove my point that the mushrooms busily consuming a dead (several years dead) walnut tree in my backyard were not making use of CO2 that had been in the atmosphere
"several short months ago." That tree has been dead for years and those Turkey Tails (an edible mushroom) are not using CO2 that was in the atmosphere "a few short months ago." That was a poor attempt at misdirection Mom. You tried to pass over the "few short months ago" part and try to tell me that I didn't know that those mushrooms were using food that the tree created by pulling CO2 out of the air. Of course I knew that the tree made use of CO2 from the air. Your error was the "few short months ago" part and alleging that I don't understand the CO2 cycle doesn't make that error go away.
Mom, you're not up to your usually standards tonight. Are you feeling poorly? We could continue this another evening if you wish.