Question

i need an answer asap!!!!! what happens to carbon atoms during photosynthesis please helppp?

Answer 1

please help

Answer 2

Daniel, it helps if you post a more specific question. It also helps if you tell us what specifically you don't understand about it, or post up a best guess too...

Answer 3

all i need to know is what happens to the carbon atom when photosynthesis takes place

Answer 4

i meant what happens to the carbon atom during photosynthesis? if you cant help me its ok im just really confused my self i suck at biology thanks for your time

Answer 5

Well in the very most basic sense carbon is taken in from the air, in the form of carbon dioxide and through the energy provided from sunlight it is converted to a carbon chain known as a sugar.

Do you need a more detailed answer?

Please don't repeat questions, though feel free to use the chat :)

Answer 6

i need more detailed and i have other questions but its way to many questions thank you.

Answer 7

Well if you have alot you could just post the ones that you are finding the hardest :) - you could also post them in this question.

This website gives a detailed description of what happens in photosynthesis: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Process-of-Photosynthesis.topicArticleId-8741,articleId-8599.html

Answer 8

ok i will put the other questions that are confusing to me in here

Answer 9

during photosynthesis (the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions)

Answer 10

Do you mean what happens to a carbon atom during photosynthesis (the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions)? (above is not really a question :P) and thanks for the fanning.

Answer 11

yes thats what i meant and your welcome

Answer 12

Okay so basically in the light-dependent reactions its all about the production of energy - so carbon is not involved at this point.

"In the light reactions, one molecule of the pigment chlorophyll absorbs one photon and loses one electron. This electron is passed to a modified form of chlorophyll called pheophytin, which passes the electron to a quinone molecule, allowing the start of a flow of electrons down an electron transport chain that leads to the ultimate reduction of NADP to NADPH." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis

Then in the light independent reactions carbon is fixed from the atmosphere. This is through the calvin cycle, its overall equation is:
3 CO2 + 9 ATP + 6 NADPH + 6 H+ → C3H6O3-phosphate + 9 ADP + 8Pi + 6 NADP+ + 3 H2O
See this link to view a diagram: http://media.wiley.com/Lux/40/8540.nfg003.jpg

"In the carbon-fixing reaction, an essential material is carbon dioxide, which is obtained from the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide is attached to a five-carbon compound called ribulose diphosphate. Ribulose diphosphate carboxylase catalyzes this reaction.

After carbon dioxide has been joined to ribulose diphosphate, a six-carbon product forms, which immediately breaks into two three-carbon molecules called phosphoglycerate. Each phosphoglycerate molecule converts to another organic compound, but only in the presence of ATP. The ATP used is the ATP synthesized in the energy-fixing reaction. The organic compound formed converts to still another organic compound using the energy present in NADPH. Again, the energy-fixing reaction provides the essential energy. The organic compounds that result each consist of three carbon atoms. Eventually, the compounds interact with one another and join to form a single molecule of six-carbon glucose. This process also generates additional molecules of ribulose diphosphate to participate in further carbon-fixing reactions."
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Process-of-Photosynthesis.topicArticleId-8741,articleId-8599.html