Photosynthesis Notes

Evidence: The process of photosynthesis requires sunlight for its nutrients to make their way into the chlorophyll on green plants. This suggests that without direct sunlight, photosynthesis will not be completed correctly or the plants functions will not work properly. Majority of plants that undergo photosynthesis have chlorophyll stored within them, it is what gives them their green color. However, there are few species of plants that don’t acquire chlorophyll, but still undergo the process of photosynthesis.
Specific Information: Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert the light energy captured from the sun into chemical energy that can be used to fuel the organism’s activities. It occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not archaea. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen as a waste product. It is vital for all aerobic life on Earth. In addition to maintaining normal levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, photosynthesis is the source of energy for nearly all life on Earth. The average rate of energy capture by photosynthesis globally is immense, approximately 130 terawatt, which is about six times larger than the power consumption of human civilization. As well as energy, photosynthesis is also the source of the carbon of all organic compounds within organism’s bodies. In all, photosynthetic organisms convert around 100–115 thousand million metric tons of carbon into biomass per year. Although photosynthesis can happen in different ways in different species, some features are always the same. For example, the process always begins when energy from light is absorbed by proteins called photosynthetic reaction centers that contain chlorophylls. In plants, these proteins are held inside organelles called chloroplasts, while in bacteria they are embedded in the plasma membrane. Some of the light energy gathered by by chlorophylls is stored in the form of adenosine triphosphate ( ATP). The