Photosynthesis is a process, which is performed in all plants and certain bacteria. This process convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of sugar.
Photosynthesis is a biological process utilized by all green plants. During the process of photosynthesis, cells use carbon dioxide(Co2) and energy from the sun to make sugar molecules and oxygen.
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Photosynthesis Equation
The photosynthesis equation is commonly written as:
6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
It means that the reactants, 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water, are converted to the products, 1 molecule of sugar and 6 molecules of oxygen, by light energy captured by chlorophyll.
Types of photosynthesis
There are two different types of photosynthesis:
- Oxygenic photosynthesis
- Anoxygenic photosynthesis
Now we will discuss about these 2 types of photosynthesis in detail.
1. Oxygenic Photosynthesis
The form of photosynthesis that first comes to mind when the term is mentioned is that carried out by the plants we see around us. It is called oxygenic photosynthesis because one of its products is molecular oxygen, resulting from the oxidation of water.
2. Anoxygenic Photosynthesis
In this process light is used to raise electrons to a more electronegative redox potential and to feed the electrons into a cyclic electron transport to generate a proton potential.
The Calvin Cycle – Pathway of Photosynthesis
The Calvin Cycle is the MOST Common Pathway for Carbon Fixation. Plant Species that fix Carbon exclusively through the Calvin Cycle are known as C3 plants.
Calvin Cycle Definition:
The Calvin cycle is the cycle of chemical reactions performed by plants to “fix” carbon from CO2 into three-carbon sugars.
Later, plants and animals can turn these three-carbon compounds into amino acids, nucleotides, and more complex sugars such as starches.
This process of “carbon fixation” is how most new organic matter is created. The sugars created in the Calvin cycle are also used by plants for long-term energy storage, unlike ATP which is used up quickly after it is created.
These plant sugars can also become a source of energy for animals who eat the plants, and predators who eat those herbivores.