Yes... I am The Masked Greeny!

My story is a strange one... but before I disclose the details of my intricate plot to cause the eradication of the animals, in the earth's next extinction event, I must first make it clear that I am a popular figure. My face and slogan have both made it onto blackboards throughout St. Mary's College, and have caused the alarm of numerous children. No doubt, they shall pass the information of my existence to their parents. Thus, I am a plant to be reckoned with!

We *plants* came after animals. We *plants* evolved from inferior heterotrophic organisms living in the Primeval Soup in the early history of The Earth. Our metabolic pathways capable of producing Oxygen as a byproduct succeeded in destroying the dominant species of the time! It should've been *our* time to rule!

But did we? No. Our reign was cut short by the heinous animals and microorganisms that evolved specialised biochemical processes to survive, *despite* our death-causing Oxygen!

In fact, the animals need the Oxygen for their survival! And this is the key to our recovery...

We'd formed a pact with the bacteria a long time ago- we offered to protect two of their species, as opposed to only one as the animals did, from external dangers by harbouring them within our very own eukaryotic cells! In return, they enable us to undergo Photosynthesis, and Respiration efficiently. We like them very much.

The Animals though, we hate. They eat our fruit, and store the indigestible parts (which are supposed to be dispersed to new locations to facilitate our dominance!) in underground 'sewer systems'. They steal our sap! They steal our xylem vessels! They physically abuse us by attaching tyre swings to our limbs! This list goes on and on...

But we have a scheme to get rid of them entirely. It's based on the nature of the way they obtain energy from sugar. During Aerobic respiration, the majority of the ATP produced ('energy packets') requires the Respiratory Chain series of reactions to occur... this in turn requires products from a cycle of reactions known as the Krebs Cycle. Without the Krebs Cycle, the Respiratory Chain would not be able to occur! They would thus experience a serious lack of energy, would not be able to survive (the most active, and thus most threatening animals, anyway) and this will open the doors for us plants!

A point to note, is that we too utilise ATP released from sugar during Respiration. However, we still have the edge on the oppressive animals, because our Chloroplasts are able to produce infinite amounts of ATP. A little fine tuning during Evolution would probably be required, but in the long term, it will be worth it, don't you think so?

Break the Krebs Cycle

- The Masked Greeny