Scribd
Upload
42 views

Photosynthesis: Jump To Navigationjump To Search

Photosynthesis is a process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and energy in the form of carbohydrates like sugars. It occurs through two stages - the light-dependent reactions in which solar energy is captured and used to produce ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent Calvin cycle in which carbon dioxide is incorporated into carbohydrates. Photosynthesis is responsible for producing most of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and supplies the primary source of energy for life on Earth.

Uploaded by

Mikko Ramira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
42 views

Photosynthesis: Jump To Navigationjump To Search

Photosynthesis is a process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and energy in the form of carbohydrates like sugars. It occurs through two stages - the light-dependent reactions in which solar energy is captured and used to produce ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent Calvin cycle in which carbon dioxide is incorporated into carbohydrates. Photosynthesis is responsible for producing most of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and supplies the primary source of energy for life on Earth.

Uploaded by

Mikko Ramira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Photosynthesis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Jump to navigationJump to search

Schematic of photosynthesis in plants. The carbohydrates produced are stored in or used by the plant.

Overall equation for the type of photosynthesis that occurs in plants

Composite image showing the global distribution of photosynthesis, including both oceanic phytoplankton and
terrestrial vegetation. Dark red and blue-green indicate regions of high photosynthetic activity in the ocean and
on land, respectively.

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light


energy into chemical energy that can later be released to fuel the organisms' activities.
This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are
synthesized from carbon dioxide and water – hence the name photosynthesis, from
the Greek phōs (φῶς), "light", and sunthesis (σύνθεσις), "putting together".[1][2][3] In most
cases, oxygen is also released as a waste product. Most plants, most algae,
and cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis; such organisms are called photoautotrophs.
Photosynthesis is largely responsible for producing and maintaining the oxygen
content of the Earth's atmosphere, and supplies most of the energy necessary for life on
Earth.[4]
Although photosynthesis is performed differently by different species, the process
always begins when energy from light is absorbed by proteins called reaction
centres that contain green chlorophyll pigments. In plants, these proteins are held
inside organelles called chloroplasts, which are most abundant in leaf cells, while in
bacteria they are embedded in the plasma membrane. In these light-dependent
reactions, some energy is used to strip electrons from suitable substances, such as
water, producing oxygen gas. The hydrogen freed by the splitting of water is used in the
creation of two further compounds that serve as short-term stores of energy, enabling
its transfer to drive other reactions: these compounds are reduced nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the "energy
currency" of cells.
In plants, algae and cyanobacteria, long-term energy storage in the form of sugars is
produced by a subsequent sequence of light-independent reactions called the Calvin
cycle; some bacteria use different mechanisms, such as the reverse Krebs cycle, to
achieve the same end. In the Calvin cycle, atmospheric carbon dioxide
is incorporated into already existing organic carbon compounds, such as ribulose
bisphosphate (RuBP).[5] Using the ATP and NADPH produced by the light-dependent
reactions, the resulting compounds are then reduced and removed to form further
carbohydrates, such as glucose.
The first photosynthetic organisms probably evolved early in the evolutionary history of
life and most likely used reducing agents such as hydrogen or hydrogen sulfide, rather
than water, as sources of electrons.[6] Cyanobacteria appeared later; the excess
oxygen they produced contributed directly to the oxygenation of the Earth,[7] which
rendered the evolution of complex life possible. Today, the average rate of energy
capture by photosynthesis globally is approximately 130 terawatts,[8][9][10] which is about
eight times the current power consumption of human civilization.[11] Photosynthetic
organisms also convert around 100–115 billion tons (91-104 petagrams) of carbon
into biomass per year.[12][13]

You might also like