Photosynthesis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other things make

food.[1] It is a chemical process that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide
into sugars the cell can use as energy. As well as plants, many kinds of
algae, protists and bacteria use it to get food. Photosynthesis is very
important for life on Earth. Most plants either directly or indirectly
depend on it. The exception are certain organisms that directly get their
energy from chemical reactions; these organisms are called
chemoautotrophs.
Photosynthesis can happen in different ways, but there are some parts
that are common.
6 CO2(g) + 6 H2O(l) + photons C6H12O6(aq) + 6 O2(g)
carbon dioxide + water + light energy glucose + oxygen

Contents
1 Reactions
1.1 Light-dependent reactions
1.2 Light-independent reactions
2 Factors affecting photosynthesis
2.1 Light intensity
2.2 Carbon dioxide levels
2.3 Temperature
3 Other pages
4 References

Energy from sunlight, water absorbed

by the roots, and carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere produce glucose and
oxygen by photosynthesis

Reactions
Photosynthesis has two main sets of reactions. Light-dependent reactions need light to work; and lightindependent reactions, which do not need light to work.

Light-dependent reactions
Main page: Light-dependent reaction
Light energy from the sun is used to split water (photolysis) which has been sucked in by plants by
transpiration. The sunlight hits chloroplasts in the plant, causing an enzyme to break apart the water. Water,
when broken, makes oxygen, hydrogen, and electrons.

Hydrogen, along with electrons energized by light, convert

NADP into NADPH which is then used in the lightindependent reactions. Oxygen diffuses out of the plant as a
waste product of photosynthesis and ATP is synthesized
from ADP and inorganic phosphate. This all happens in the
grana of chloroplasts.

Light-independent reactions
Main page: Light-independent reaction
During this reaction, sugars are built up using carbon
Diagram of a chloroplast
dioxide and the products of the light-dependent reactions
(ATP and NADPH) and various other chemicals found in
the plant in the Calvin Cycle. Therefore, the light-independent reaction cannot happen without the lightdependent reaction. Carbon dioxide diffuses into the plant and along with chemicals in the stroma of the
chloroplast and ATP and NADPH, glucose is made and finally, transported around the plant by translocation.

Factors affecting photosynthesis

There are three main factors affecting photosynthesis:
Light intensity
Carbon dioxide concentration
Temperature

Light intensity
If there is little light shining on a plant, the light-dependent reactions will not work efficiently. This means that
photolysis will not happen quickly, and therefore little NADPH and ATP will be made. This shortage of
NADPH and ATP will lead to the light-independent reactions not working as NADPH and ATP are needed for
the light-independent reactions to work.

Carbon dioxide levels

Carbon dioxide is used in the light-independent reactions. It combines with NADPH and ATP and various other
chemicals (such as Ribulose Biphosphate) to form glucose. Therefore, if there is not enough carbon dioxide,
then there will be a build up of NADPH and ATP and not enough glucose will be formed.

Temperature
There are many enzymes working in photosynthetic reactions - such as the enzyme in photolysis. These
enzymes will not work as well, or stop working at all at high or low temperatures and therefore, so will the
light-dependent and light-independent reactions.

Other pages

Cellular respiration

References
1. Fullick, Ann (2011). Edexcel IGCSE Biology Revision Guide. Pearson Education. p. 40. .

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Categories: Cell biology Cellular respiration Metabolism Plant physiology
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