PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O)

from the air and soil. Within the plant cell, the water is oxidized, meaning it loses
electrons, while the carbon dioxide is reduced, meaning it gains electrons. This
transforms the water into oxygen and the carbon dioxide into glucose.

The below are steps involved in photosynthesis:

1. CO2 and H2O enter the leaf.
2. Light hits the pigment in the membrane of a thylakoid, splitting the H2O into O2
, H+ and e−
3. The electrons move down through the ETS, losing energy at every level
4. Sunlight hits the second pigment molecule allowing the enzymes to convert ADP to
ATP and NADP+ gets converted to NADPH.
5. The ATP and NADPH are used by the Calvin cycle as a power source for converting
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into simple sugar glucose.
6. The Calvin cycle converts 3CO2 molecules from the atmosphere to glucose.
7. The second of two major stages in photosynthesis (following the light
reactions) involve atmospheric CO2 fixation by reducing it to carbohydrate (Glucose).

Step 1
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the plant leaf through stomata, i.e., minute
epidermal pores in the leaves and stem of plants which facilitate the transfer of
various gases and water vapor.

Step 2
Water enters the leaves, primarily through the roots. These roots are especially
designed to draw the ground water and transport it to the leaves through the stem.

Step 3
As sunlight falls on the leaf surface, the chlorophyll, i.e., the green pigment present
in the plant leaf, traps the energy in it. Interestingly, the green color of the leaf is
also attributed to presence of chlorophyll.
Step 4
Then hydrogen and oxygen are produced by converting water using the energy
derived from the Sun. Hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide in order to make
food for the plant, while oxygen is released through the stomata. Similarly, even
algae and bacteria use carbon dioxide and hydrogen to prepare food, while oxygen
is let out as a waste product. The electrons from the chlorophyll molecules and
protons from the water molecules facilitate chemical reactions in the cell. These
reactions produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which provides energy for
cellular reactions, and NADP (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diphosphate),
essential in plant metabolism.

The process of photosynthesis is commonly written as: 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2. This
means that the reactants, six carbon dioxide molecules and six water molecules, are
converted by light energy captured by chlorophyll (implied by the arrow) into a
sugar molecule and six oxygen molecules, the products

While we take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide to produce energy, plants
take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen to produce energy.

Photosynthesis has several benefits, not just for the photoautotrophs, but also for
humans and animals. The chemical energy stored in plants is transferred to animals
and humans when they consume plant matter. It also helps in maintaining a normal
level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Almost all the oxygen
present in the atmosphere can be attributed to this process, which also means that
respiration and photosynthesis go together.

What is photosynthesis step by step explanation?

During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) from
the air and soil. Within the plant cell, the water is oxidized, meaning it loses
electrons, while the carbon dioxide is reduced, meaning it gains electrons. This
transforms the water into oxygen and the carbon dioxide into glucose.
THE LEAF

Internal Leaf Structure

a) Cuticle: Waxy layer waterproofing upper leaves.

b) Upper epidermis: Upper layer of cells. No chloroplasts. Protection.

c) Palisade Mesophyll: Tightly packed upper layer of chloroplast containing

cells.

d) Spongy Mesophyll: Lower layer of chloroplast containing cells. Air spaces

around them.

e) Lower Epidermis: Lower external layer of cells in leaf.

f) Vascular Bundle: Bundle of many vessels (xylem and phloem) for transport.

g) Xylem: Living vascular system carrying water & minerals throughout plant.

h) Phloem: Living vascular system carrying dissolved sugars and organic

compounds throughout plant.

i) Guard Cells: 2 cells surrounding stomata that control rate of gas & water
exchange.

j) Stomata: Opening between guard cells for gas & water exchange. (See
Diagram below.)
Leaves are sites of photosynthesis

Plants are the most common autotrophs in terrestrial—land—ecosystems.

All green plant tissues can photosynthesize, but in most plants, but the majority of
photosynthesis usually takes place in the leaves. The cells in a middle layer of leaf
tissue called the mesophyll are the primary site of photosynthesis.

Small pores called stomata—singular, stoma—are found on the surface of leaves

in most plants, and they let carbon dioxide diffuse into the mesophyll layer and
oxygen diffuse out.
Each mesophyll cell contains organelles called chloroplasts, which are specialized
to carry out the reactions of photosynthesis. Within each chloroplast, disc-like
structures called thylakoids are arranged in piles like stacks of pancakes that are
known as grana—singular, granum. The membrane of each thylakoid contains
green-colored pigments called chlorophylls that absorb light. The fluid-filled
space around the grana is called the stroma, and the space inside the thylakoid
discs is known as the thylakoid space. Different chemical reactions occur in the
different parts of the chloroplast.

The light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle

Photosynthesis in the leaves of plants involves many steps, but it can be divided
into two stages: the light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle.

 The light-dependent reactions take place in the thylakoid membrane and

require a continuous supply of light energy. Chlorophylls absorb this light
energy, which is converted into chemical energy through the formation of
two compounds, \text{ATP}ATP start text, A, T, P, end text—an energy
storage molecule—and \text{NADPH}NADPH start text, N, A, D, P, H, end
text—a reduced (electron-bearing) electron carrier. In this process, water
molecules are also converted to oxygen gas—the oxygen we breathe!
  The Calvin cycle, also called the light-independent reactions, takes place
in the stroma, and does not directly require light. Instead, the Calvin cycle
uses \text{ATP}ATP start text, A, T, P, end text and \
text{NADPH}NADPH start text, N, A, D, P, H, end text from the light-
dependent reactions to fix carbon dioxide and produce three-carbon sugars—
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, or G3P, molecules—which join up to form
glucose.

Image credit: modified from "Overview of photosynthesis: Figure 6(Opens in a new window)" by OpenStax
College, Biology, CC BY 3.0

Overall, the light-dependent reactions capture light energy and store it temporarily
in the chemical forms of \text{ATP}ATP start text, A, T, P, end text and \
text{NADPH}NADPH start text, N, A, D, P, H, end text. There, \text{ATP} ATP
start text, A, T, P, end text is broken down to release energy, and \
text{NADPH}NADPH start text, N, A, D, P, H, end text donates its electrons to
convert carbon dioxide molecules into sugars. In the end, the energy that started
out as light winds up trapped in the bonds of the sugars.
The process of photosynthesis is commonly written as: 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2. This
means that the reactants, six carbon dioxide molecules and six water molecules, are converted
by light energy captured by chlorophyll (implied by the arrow) into a sugar molecule and six
oxygen molecules, the products.