Metabolism Autotrophs such as plants can construct the complex organic molecules in cells such as polysaccharides and proteins from simple molecules like carbon dioxide and water. Heterotrophs, on the other hand, require a source of more complex substances, such as monosaccharides and amino acids, to produce these complex molecules. Organisms can be further classified by ultimate source of their energy: photoautotrophs and photoheterotrophs obtain energy from light, whereas chemoautotrophs and chemoheterotrophs obtain energy from inorganic oxidation reactions. Photosynthesis is the synthesis of carbohydrates from sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO). In plants, cyanobacteria and algae, oxygenic photosynthesis splits water, with oxygen produced
Space-based measurements of carbon dioxide and errors in fitting signals to obtain X, space-based observations may also be compared with ground-based observations such as those from the TCCON. There have been other conceptual missions which have undergone initial evaluations but have not been chosen to become a part of space-based observing systems. These include: Space-based measurements of carbon dioxide Space-based measurements of carbon dioxide () are used to help answer questions about Earth's carbon cycle. There are a variety of active and planned instruments for measuring carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere from space. The first satellite mission designed to measure was the Interferometric Monitor for