Plants, algae, and some microorganisms employ a process called photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy. Through a chemical process, food (sugars) and oxygen are produced from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Plants get their green hue from a substance called chlorophyll, which is frequently used in chemical reactions. The atmosphere that covers our planet is rich in oxygen due to photosynthesis.
PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROCESS TYPES
Oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis are the two forms. Though they both operate on remarkably similar principles, the former is more prevalent and can be found in cyanobacteria, algae, and plants.
Light energy converts electrons from water (H2O) absorbed by plant roots to CO2 during oxygenic photosynthesis, which creates carbohydrates. During this process, the water is "oxidized," or loses electrons, while the CO2 is "reduced," or gains electrons. Carbohydrates are generated along with oxygen.
By converting carbon dioxide that breathing creatures produce during their oxygen-consuming respiration back into oxygen, plants, algae, and bacteria maintain an equilibrium on Earth.
According to "Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria" by LibreTexts, anoxygenic photosynthesis, on the other hand, does not produce oxygen and instead uses electron donors that are not water. Usually, bacteria like green sulfur bacteria and phototrophic purple bacteria carry out this procedure.
THE Equation for Photosynthesis
Despite the fact that both forms of photosynthesis are intricate, multi-step processes, the entire procedure may be condensed into a single chemical equation.
The formula for oxygenic photosynthesis is:
Light Energy + 12H2O + 6CO2 -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Here, light energy is used to mix six carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules with twelve water (H2O) molecules. In the end, six molecules of oxygen and six molecules of water are formed, together with a single glucose molecule (C6H12O6).
Similar to this, a single generalized formula can be used to express all of the anoxygenic photosynthesis reactions:
[CH2O] + 2A + H2O -> CO2 + 2H2A + Light Energy
In the equation, the potential electron donor is represented by H2A, and the variable is the letter A. For instance, in the electron donor hydrogen sulfide (H2S), "A" can stand for sulfur.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS: HOW DO PLANTS ABSORB SUNLIGHT?
Unique pigments found in plants are responsible for absorbing the light energy required for photosynthesis.
The main pigment involved in photosynthesis, chlorophyll, is what gives plants their green hue, according to the science education website Nature Education. Green light is reflected by chlorophyll whereas red and blue light are absorbed. Because it requires a lot of resources to produce, chlorophyll is a huge molecule that degrades at the end of a leaf's life. The majority of the pigment's nitrogen, which is one of the components that makes up chlorophyll, is reabsorbed back into the plant. Fall foliage changes with the loss of chlorophyll, revealing other hues like anthocyanins and carotenoids. Anthocyanins absorb blue-green light, whereas carotenoids typically absorb blue light and reflect yellow.
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