Answer to Question #182342 in Cell Biology for Johannes Steven

Question

Discuss photosynthesis under the following subheadings:

1. The leaf as a photosynthetic machine
2. How does photosynthesis convert light energy into chemical energy?
3. How does photosynthesis interact with other pathways?
4. The Calvin Cycle.

Answer 1

1) The leaf can be thought as a photosynthetic machine since its main function is to produce food for the plant by photosynthesis. Oxygen is passed into the atmosphere through stomata—pores in the leaf surface. photosynthesis.

2) The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen. Light energy absorbed by pigments produces high-energy electrons that are used to convert NADP+ and ADP to the compounds NADPH and ATP, trapping the energy in chemical form.

3) The products of photosynthesis are utilized in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle, as well as in the synthesis of lipids, proteins, and other large molecules.

4) The stage of photosynthesis in which CO2 reacts with RuBP to form 3PG, 3PG is reduced to a sugar, and RuBP is regenerated, while other products are released to the rest of the plant. Also known as the Calvin–Benson cycle.