PHOTOSYNTHESIS CLEARLY DESIGNED FROM THE BEGINNING - Creationists see photosynthesis as a very sophisticated biochemical process, unable to evolve by chance and time - one kind of photosynthesis did not evolve into the other. As long as evolutionists insist the formidable and elegant process of turning light energy into sugar simply evolved, they will forever “need a rethink” and will constantly turn over traditional ideas - Unique structures in rare bacteria suggest the amazing process of photosynthesis is much “older” than evolutionists assumed. Photosynthesis is the process of turning sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen. There are two types. The first is anoxygenic photosynthesis that uses molecules other than water to drive the process and doesn’t produce oxygen as a byproduct. The second is oxygenic photosynthesis, which separates water into hydrogen and oxygen to drive photosynthesis, and releases oxygen as a byproduct. Oxygenic photosynthesis is the most common, found in algae, plants and some bacteria — a fundamental process that sustains human and animal life. Evolutionary theory stated that anoxygenic photosynthesis evolved first, followed about a billion years later by oxygenic photosynthesis. Creationists see photosynthesis as a very sophisticated biochemical process, unable to evolve by chance and time. The evolution of photosynthesis needs a rethink, turning traditional ideas on their head.

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Photosynthesis

Clearly Designed from the Beginning

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Creationists see photosynthesis as a very sophisticated biochemical process, unable to evolve by chance and time - one kind of photosynthesis did not evolve into the other. As long as evolutionists insist the formidable and elegant process of turning light energy into sugar simply evolved, they will forever “need a rethink” and will constantly turn over traditional ideas

BY FRANK SHERWIN, M.A.

Unique structures in rare bacteria suggest the amazing process of photosynthesis is much “older” than evolutionists assumed.

Photosynthesis is the process of turning sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen.

There are two types.

The first is anoxygenic photosynthesis that uses molecules other than water to drive the process and doesn’t produce oxygen as a byproduct.

The second is oxygenic photosynthesis, which separates water into hydrogen and oxygen to drive photosynthesis, and releases oxygen as a byproduct.

Oxygenic photosynthesis is the most common, found in algae, plants and some bacteria — a fundamental process that sustains human and animal life.

For decades, evolutionary theory stated that anoxygenic photosynthesis evolved first, followed about a billion years later by oxygenic photosynthesis.

However, Dr. Tanai Cardona and fellow researchers at Imperial College, London found unique structures in so-called “ancient” bacteria (Heliobacterium modesticaldum) indicating that oxygenic photosynthesis was occurring a billion years earlier than commonly thought.

Creationists see photosynthesis as a very sophisticated biochemical process, unable to evolve by chance and time.

The ScienceDaily article stated, “The finding could mean the evolution of photosynthesis needs a rethink, turning traditional ideas on their head.”

This is true — especially considering that just months earlier Tanai Cardona lamented, [There is] an incessant stream of speculative ideas and debates on the evolution of photosynthesis that started in the first half of the twentieth century and shows no signs of abating.

Some of these speculative ideas have become commonplace, are taken as fact, but find little support.

By investigating H. modesticaldum, the research team at Imperial College found fully functional photosynthesis was already in place — to put it simply: one kind of photosynthesis did not evolve into the other.

As long as evolutionists insist the formidable and elegant process of turning light energy into sugar simply evolved, they will forever “need a rethink” and will constantly turn over traditional ideas.

*Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate is at ICR and earned a master’s in zoology from the University of Northern Colorado.

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.

https://www.icr.org/article/photosynthesis-clearly-designed-from-beginning

GOD'S GRASSROOTS PROVISION - Our Creator is faithful to His plans and His people. One evidence of His abundant provision for all His creatures is literally under our feet. The leaves of green plants, including grasses, testify that our Creator is clever, capable, careful, and caring. This “hidden in plain view” providence showcases the food chain that begins with photosynthesis, the sunlight-powered carbohydrate-manufacturing of nutritious food for herbivores, who themselves become food for carnivores and/or insectivores. Grass is designed to grow after its top portions are eaten by grazers. The God who provides for “the grass of the field” surely provides for us. In times of calamity and crisis, it’s easy to question whether life makes sense — or, more accurately, how God is making ultimate sense of everything. Unsurprisingly, fallen humans propose answers that miss the mark, failing to understand how a good-yet-groaning world can accomplish the perfect purposes of the Creator. The pages of Scripture provide the big-picture answer that this life is the best of all prequels for the best of all possible eternities. Scripture also gives the best of all counsel for life here and now. Our Creator is faithful to His plans and His people. One evidence of His abundant provision for all His creatures is literally under our feet. The leaves of green plants, including grasses, testify that our Creator is clever, capable, careful, and caring.

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God's Grassroots Provision

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Our Creator is faithful to His plans and His people. One evidence of His abundant provision for all His creatures is literally under our feet. The leaves of green plants, including grasses, testify that our Creator is clever, capable, careful, and caring. This “hidden in plain view” providence showcases the food chain that begins with photosynthesis, the sunlight-powered carbohydrate-manufacturing of nutritious food for herbivores, who themselves become food for carnivores and/or insectivores. Grass is designed to grow after its top portions are eaten by grazers. The God who provides for “the grass of the field” surely provides for us.

BY JAMES J. S. JOHNSON, J.D., TH.D. 

In times of calamity and crisis, it’s easy to question whether life makes sense — or, more accurately, how God is making ultimate sense of everything.

Unsurprisingly, fallen humans propose answers that miss the mark, failing to understand how a good-yet-groaning world can accomplish the perfect purposes of the Creator.

The pages of Scripture provide the big-picture answer that this life is the best of all prequels for the best of all possible eternities.

Scripture also gives the best of all counsel for life here and now.

Our Creator is faithful to His plans and His people. One evidence of His abundant provision for all His creatures is literally under our feet.

The leaves of green plants, including grasses, testify that our Creator is clever, capable, careful, and caring.

This “hidden in plain view” providence showcases the food chain that begins with photosynthesis, the sunlight-powered carbohydrate-manufacturing of nutritious food for herbivores, who themselves become food for carnivores and/or insectivores.

Grass is designed to grow after its top portions are eaten by grazers.

The main growing parts [of grasses] are not at the stem tips, but at the base of the leaves.

This means that as the leaves are eaten by herbivores, they simply regrow and replace their lost parts.…[with] many [grasses having] a specialized form of photosynthesis which is particularly efficient under high light intensity and high temperature conditions.

It is also a system which allows more carbon dioxide to be fixed per unit of water than conventional photosynthesis.

Examples of such food chains include large grass-grazing herbivores like bovines, sheep, and pronghorns that are eaten by humans, cougars, or bears.

Smaller herbivores such as rabbits are eaten by wolves or foxes.

Many herbivores go unnoticed because they are even smaller, like grasshoppers (which include locusts), leafhoppers, and crickets.

These tiny herbivores are eaten by insectivores—mammals (aardvark, pangolin), reptiles (gecko, chuckwalla), birds (flycatchers, bee-eaters), and even some humans, like John the Baptist.

Edible herbivorous insects like grasshoppers (the most popular insect food for humans), termites (the next-most popular), crickets, and ants are recognized as an underdeveloped potential food supply for needy nations that abound with these types of insects. 

Spraying field crops with pesticides produces toxicity problems if crop-attracted insects are captured and eaten by humans.

But grasshoppers/locusts, termites, and crickets — as well as edible beetles, moths, ants, wasps, leafhoppers, planthoppers, cicadas, and pentatomid bugs — are available to help alleviate famines if these arthropods can be secured apart from pesticides.

When a field crop is covered with a plague of locusts, some despair.

Optimists, however, recognize that locusts are providentially edible and seek practical solutions for taking useful advantage of potential food sources.

The God who provides for “the grass of the field” surely provides for us.

* Dr. Johnson is Associate Professor of Apologetics and Chief Academic Officer at the Institute for Creation Research.

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.

https://www.icr.org/article/god-grassroots-provision/