Photosynthesis
Light Dependent Reactions
The light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis take place in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts. They use light energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, and to produce ATP and NADPH.- Stage 1: Light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll molecules, which are the green pigments in chloroplasts. This energy is used to excite electrons, which are then transferred to a series of electron carriers.
- Stage 2:
- The electron carriers transfer the electrons to NADP+, which is reduced to NADPH.
- The electrons also transfer protons to the stroma, which creates a proton gradient. The proton gradient is used to drive the synthesis of ATP from ADP and Pi.
The light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis are essential for the production of ATP and NADPH, which are used in the Calvin cycle to fix carbon dioxide into glucose.
Light Independent Reactions
The light-independent reactions of photosynthesis, also known as the Calvin cycle, take place in the stroma of chloroplasts. They use ATP and NADPH from the light-dependent reactions to fix carbon dioxide into glucose.- Stage 1 (Carbon Fixation): Carbon dioxide is fixed into a three-carbon molecule called 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA).
- Stage 2 (Reduction): 3-PGA is reduced to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) using ATP and NADPH.
- Stage 3 (Regeneration of RuBP): G3P is used to synthesize RuBP and other Carbodydrates.
The Calvin cycle is essential for the production of glucose, which is the primary energy source for plants and other organisms.
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