Photosynthesis Research Papers
WHAT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS? 3
Every day the total amount of energy that is captured through photosynthesis all across our planet is equal to approximately 135 terawatts. Now to put this number into perspective the entire human race consumes approximately 15 terawatts of energy daily. This means that there is 9 times more energy being absorbed every day through photosynthesis, as there is energy being consumed by all of mankind (Bridges 2008).
In order to fully understand photosynthesis, one must first know what photosynthesis is. Photosynthesis is a process in which organisms such as plants, algae, and bacteria use energy emitted from light and converts it into chemical energy which can be used to fuel the activities performed by these organisms and also to keep them alive (Bridges 2008).
In order for photosynthesis to exist there must first be light. Not just any light can be used for photosynthesis however. The light absorbed for photosynthesis, is light that can be seen in the visible spectrum which puts the usable light for photosynthesis at approximately 400-700 nanometers. This accounts for only about 45% the solar spectrum which means that more than half of the sun's energy cannot be used for obtaining energy via photosynthesis (Schneider 2011).
Not only must …show more content…
the light be at a certain point on the visible spectrum but also can depend on the pigment of the plant. An example of this is a green plant will absorb much more energy from light that
WHAT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS? 4
falls in the blue or red spectrum of the scale and reflects all green light and similar colors of green. Plants tend to reflect light that is similar in color to their pigments a d tends to absorb energy from light of a different color (Schneider 2011).
The most important part of photosynthesis to understand however, is photosynthesis itself. Photosynthesis occurs in the leaves of the plant. The leaves themselves are made up of very small cells. On the inside of the cells are even smaller structures known as chloroplasts. Inside of the chloroplasts is a green chemical called chlorophyll which gives plants their pigment. The chlorophyll is essential in the process of photosynthesis because it absorbs energy from the sun. This energy is then used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are then used to create glucose which is used as food by the plants. Some glucose is stored while the rest is used for the plants growth and development. This is also referred to as the Calvin cycle (Stanley 2013).
While the Calvin cycle may seem simple, it is actually a lot more complicated.
The Calvin cycle is made up of three key stages. The first stage is known as the carbon fixation stage. During this stage a carbon dioxide molecule ribulose 1, 5 bisphosphate (RuBP). This step creates a six-carbon compound that splits into two different molecules of a three carbon compound, 3 phosphoglyceric acid (3-PGA). The reaction is initiated by the enzyme RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase, or rubisco (Stanley 2013). The second stage of the Calvin cycle is known as the reduction stage. In this stage ATP and NADH are used to change the 3-PGA molecules into molecules of a tri carbon molecule known
as
WHAT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS? 5
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). This stage gets its name because NADPH reduces a three-carbon intermediate to make G3P (Stanley 2013). The third stage is known as the regeneration stage. This is because some G3P molecules are used to make glucose, while other molecules have to be recycled to regenerate the RuBP acceptor. In order for G3P to leave the cycle, three carbon dioxide molecules must enter the cycle, sic G3P molecules are made. One leaves the cycle and is used to make glucose, while the other five need to be recycled to regenerate new molecules of the RuBP acceptor (Stanley 2013).
One factor that can affect the rate of photosynthesis is temperature. Temperature affects photosynthesis by allowing plants to build up and respire when they are at their optimum daytime temperature.Temperature also has the ability to curtail the respiration rate on a cooler night. With high temperatures, respiration increases and the products of photosynthesis are used faster than they are produced. The rate of photosynthesis increases as the temperature increases. However, this is only true to a certain extent, because once the temperature reaches 40°C the process starts to slow down. This is because the enzymes involved are sensitive to temperature. In addition lower temperatures tend to slow down photosynthesis (Rickman 2010).
Every day the total amount of energy that is captured through photosynthesis all across our planet is equal to approximately 135 terawatts. Now to put this number into perspective the entire human race consumes approximately 15 terawatts of energy daily. This means that there is 9 times more energy being absorbed every day through photosynthesis, as there is energy being consumed by all of mankind (Bridges 2008).
In order to fully understand photosynthesis, one must first know what photosynthesis is. Photosynthesis is a process in which organisms such as plants, algae, and bacteria use energy emitted from light and converts it into chemical energy which can be used to fuel the activities performed by these organisms and also to keep them alive (Bridges 2008).
In order for photosynthesis to exist there must first be light. Not just any light can be used for photosynthesis however. The light absorbed for photosynthesis, is light that can be seen in the visible spectrum which puts the usable light for photosynthesis at approximately 400-700 nanometers. This accounts for only about 45% the solar spectrum which means that more than half of the sun's energy cannot be used for obtaining energy via photosynthesis (Schneider 2011).
Not only must …show more content…
the light be at a certain point on the visible spectrum but also can depend on the pigment of the plant. An example of this is a green plant will absorb much more energy from light that
WHAT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS? 4
falls in the blue or red spectrum of the scale and reflects all green light and similar colors of green. Plants tend to reflect light that is similar in color to their pigments a d tends to absorb energy from light of a different color (Schneider 2011).
The most important part of photosynthesis to understand however, is photosynthesis itself. Photosynthesis occurs in the leaves of the plant. The leaves themselves are made up of very small cells. On the inside of the cells are even smaller structures known as chloroplasts. Inside of the chloroplasts is a green chemical called chlorophyll which gives plants their pigment. The chlorophyll is essential in the process of photosynthesis because it absorbs energy from the sun. This energy is then used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are then used to create glucose which is used as food by the plants. Some glucose is stored while the rest is used for the plants growth and development. This is also referred to as the Calvin cycle (Stanley 2013).
While the Calvin cycle may seem simple, it is actually a lot more complicated.
The Calvin cycle is made up of three key stages. The first stage is known as the carbon fixation stage. During this stage a carbon dioxide molecule ribulose 1, 5 bisphosphate (RuBP). This step creates a six-carbon compound that splits into two different molecules of a three carbon compound, 3 phosphoglyceric acid (3-PGA). The reaction is initiated by the enzyme RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase, or rubisco (Stanley 2013). The second stage of the Calvin cycle is known as the reduction stage. In this stage ATP and NADH are used to change the 3-PGA molecules into molecules of a tri carbon molecule known
as
WHAT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS? 5
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). This stage gets its name because NADPH reduces a three-carbon intermediate to make G3P (Stanley 2013). The third stage is known as the regeneration stage. This is because some G3P molecules are used to make glucose, while other molecules have to be recycled to regenerate the RuBP acceptor. In order for G3P to leave the cycle, three carbon dioxide molecules must enter the cycle, sic G3P molecules are made. One leaves the cycle and is used to make glucose, while the other five need to be recycled to regenerate new molecules of the RuBP acceptor (Stanley 2013).
One factor that can affect the rate of photosynthesis is temperature. Temperature affects photosynthesis by allowing plants to build up and respire when they are at their optimum daytime temperature.Temperature also has the ability to curtail the respiration rate on a cooler night. With high temperatures, respiration increases and the products of photosynthesis are used faster than they are produced. The rate of photosynthesis increases as the temperature increases. However, this is only true to a certain extent, because once the temperature reaches 40°C the process starts to slow down. This is because the enzymes involved are sensitive to temperature. In addition lower temperatures tend to slow down photosynthesis (Rickman 2010).