On this website you will learn about photosynthesis and all the minor chemical reactions to complete it. This is
a brief overview of this. Photosynthesis takes place inside a plant cell, inside a organelle called the chloroplast
then inside the chloroplast in a smaller object called the thylakiod. First, light energy enters a protien called photosystem
II and energizes the Hydrogen elctrons inside. Then, these charged electrons move along a series of proteins called
the electron transport chain, where much of their energy is lost transporting protons across the thylakoid membrane. However,
these electrons are reenergized when light energy is absorbed by photosystem I, where the electrons are then enter another
transport chain until they combine with a proyons NADP+ to form NADPH, which will be used in the Calvin cycle.
At the same time, an enzyme called ATP synthase uses the energy from the concentration grandient of hte protons inside
the thylakoid to form ATP by adding a phosphate group to ADP thus converted the potential energy of the protons to chemical
energy in ATP.
The final part of photosynthesis is the Calvin cycle. In the Calvin cycle, carbon dioxide molecules fuse with a 5-carbon
compound called RuBP to form a 3 six-compound. These then split into PGA. Then 6 ATPs energized the PGA and 6 NADPHs
energize the PGA further to form PGAL. Finally 1 of the PGALs leave the thylakoid and enter the cytosol and combine with another
PGAL to form glucose.
We are one the numerous groups creating websites to explain photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Hopefully,
you'll actually learn something.
|