PHOTOSYNTHESIS CYCLE

Photosynthesis takes in the carbon dioxide produced by all breathing organisms and

reintroduces oxygen into the atmosphere. Photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae and

certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight into chemical energy. Basically, Photosynthesis

is the process where green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Pigments are molecules that bestow color on plants, algae and bacteria, but they are also

responsible for effectively trapping sunlight. Pigments of different colors absorb different

wavelengths of light. Below are the three main groups.

Chlorophylls: These green-colored pigments are capable of trapping blue and red light.

Chlorophylls have three sub-types, dubbed chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll c.

Carotenoids: These red, orange, or yellow-colored pigments absorb bluish-green light.

Examples of carotenoids are xanthophyll (yellow) and carotene (orange) from which carrots get

their color.

Phycobilins: These red or blue pigments absorb wavelengths of light that are not as well

absorbed by chlorophylls and carotenoids. They are seen in cyanobacteria and red algae.
 Photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms contain organelles called plastids in their cytoplasm.

The double-membraned plastids in plants and algae are referred to as primary plastids, while the

multiple-membraned variety found in plankton are called secondary plastids. These organelles

generally contain pigments or can store nutrients. It enumerates the various plastids found in

plants. Colorless and non-pigmented leucoplasts store fats and starch, while chromoplasts contain

carotenoids and chloroplasts contain chlorophyll.

Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplasts, specifically, in the grana and stroma regions.

The grana is the innermost portion of the organelle. A collection of disc-shaped membranes,

stacked into columns like plates. The individual discs are called thylakoids. It is here that the

transfer of electrons takes place. The empty spaces between columns of grana constitute the

stroma.

Chloroplasts are similar to mitochondria in that they have their own genome, or collection

of genes, contained within circular DNA. These genes encode proteins essential to the organelle

and to photosynthesis. Like mitochondria, chloroplasts are also thought to have originated from

primitive bacterial cells through the process of endosymbiosis.

Pigment molecules are associated with proteins, which allow them the flexibility to move

toward light and toward one another. A large collection of 100 to 5,000 pigment molecules

constitutes antennae. These structures effectively capture light energy from the sun, in the form of

photons. Ultimately, light energy must be transferred to a pigment-protein complex that can

convert it to chemical energy, in the form of electrons.

The pigments and proteins which convert light energy to chemical energy and begin the

process of electron transfer are know as reaction centers.

Light-dependent reactions (also called light reactions): When a photon of light hits the

reaction center, a pigment molecule such as chlorophyll releases an electron. original chlorophyll

pigment is filled by taking an electron from water. As a result, oxygen is released into the

atmosphere.

Light-independent reactions (also called dark reactions): ATP and NADPH are rich energy

sources, which drive dark reactions. During this process carbon dioxide and water combine to form

carbohydrates like glucose. This is known as carbon fixation.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Trees and other plants help keep the planet cool, but rising levels of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere are turning down this global air conditioner.

This warming is in addition to carbon dioxide's better-known effect as a heat-trapping

greenhouse gas. For scientists trying to predict global climate change in the coming century, the

study underscores the importance of including plants in their climate models.

Plants give off water through tiny pores in their leaves, a process called evapotranspiration

that cools the plant, just as perspiration cools our bodies. On a hot day, a tree can release tens of

gallons of water into the air, acting as a natural air conditioner for its surroundings. The plants

absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis through the same pores (called stomata). But when

carbon dioxide levels are high, the leaf pores shrink. This causes less water to be released,

diminishing the tree's cooling power. We need to take great care in considering what kind of

changes we make to forests and other ecosystems, because they are likely to have important climate

consequences.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Photosynthesis occurs in two stages. In the first stage, light-dependent reactions or light

reactions capture the energy of light and use it to make the energy-storage

molecules ATP and NADPH. During the second stage, the light-independent reactions use these

products to capture and reduce carbon dioxide.

Most organisms that utilize oxygenic photosynthesis use visible light for the light-

dependent reactions, although at least three use shortwave infrared or, more specifically, far-red

radiation.[17]

Some organisms employ even more radical variants of photosynthesis. Some archaea use

a simpler method that employs a pigment similar to those used for vision in animals.

The bacteriorhodopsin changes its configuration in response to sunlight, acting as a proton pump.

This produces a proton gradient more directly, which is then converted to chemical energy. The

process does not involve carbon dioxide fixation and does not release oxygen, and seems to have

evolved separately from the more common types of photosynthesis.

WRITE-UP
IN
ENGLISH
10

Francis John C. Mendoza

10 – Einstein
Mrs. Aiza Tañada