Question

Explain the process of photosynthesis and its importance to life on Earth. Describe the main stages involved in photosynthesis and the role of chlorophyll. How do factors such as light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration affect the rate of photosynthesis?

Answer 1

6CO2 + 6H20 + light -> C6H12O6 + 6O2

Carbon dioxide, water, and light energy create glucose and oxygen. Plants convert the carbon dioxide in the air to the oxygen that we and almost every animal uses. Photosynthesis also removes carbon from the atmosphere (carbon cycling) in this process. Since photosynthesis helps plants grow, from an ecologist perspective this would feed the herbivores, which become prey for their predators. Therefore, photosynthesis provides the energy in everything we eat.

Photosynthesis has two main stages, which are
a. Light dependent
b. Light independent

In the light dependent reactions in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts, light energy is taken in by the chlorophyll molecules, starting the process of energy generation in the plant. If you would like, I can go into even greater detail into the reactions of photosynthesis.

More specifically, chlorophyll absorbs the red and blue wavelengths of the visible light spectrum, but does not absorb the green. This means that the green is reflected back to our vision, giving plants the green pigment we know. There are two different photosystems that help maximize this capture of light (Photosystem I and II). When the chlorophyll molecules absorb light, electrons go to an excited state, which means they jump to a higher energy level. This excitement of the elections is what specifically starts the reactions in photosynthesis, and the electron transport chain (ETC for short).

Light intensity typically increases the rate of photosynthesis since more photons (light particles) hit the chlorophyll molecules in the thylakoid membrane. The photons striking causes the excitement of these elections.

Higher CO2 also generally increases rate of photosynthesis, since this is one of the reactants that plants need.

Temperature affects the enzymes which accelerate the reactions that take place in photosynthesis. Too high or too low causes the enzymes to not function properly. Enzymes are a type of protein, when the environment of a protein is the too hot temperature, the proteins structure starts to unfold, causing it to become non-functional, which would likely halt photosynthesis or at least very severely reduce it. Too cold of a temperature causes the enzymes to work too slowly to sustain the plant, which can kill it.

Let me know if you have questions, I'd be happy to elaborate or simplify anything.

Answer 2

Photosynthesis is basically the process on how a plant makes its own food by using the sun.

Answer 3

amazing

Answer 4

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