Photosynthesis

is the process of food making done by plants and other autotrophic organisms? The
presence of chlorophyll enables these organisms to make their own food. Autotrophic
organisms require light energy carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to make food
(sugar).

In plants, photosynthesis primarily takes place in the leaves and little or none in stems
defending on the presence of chlorophyll. The typical parts of the leave include the
upper and lower epidermis, protects the leaves and has nothing to do photosynthesis
processes. Mesophyll has the greatest number of chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll.
They are important in trapping light energy from the sun. Vascular Bundles – phloem and
xylem serve as transporting vessels of manufactured food and water. Carbon dioxide
and oxygen were collected in the spongy layer and enters and exits the leaf through the
stomata.

The parts of chloroplast include the outer and inner membranes, intermembrane space, stroma and
thylakoids stacked in grana. The chlorophyll is built into the membranes of the thylakoids.
Chlorophyll absorbs white light but it looks like green because white light consists of three primary
colors; red, blue, and green. Only red and blue light are absorbed thus making these colors
unavailable to be seen by our eyes while the green light is reflected which makes the chlorophyll
looks green. However, it is the energy from red light and blue light that are absorbed and will be
used in photosynthesis.
The green light that we can see is not absorbed by the plant and thus, cannot be used in
photosynthesis.
There are two stages of photosynthesis. (a) light-independent reaction and (b) Calvin
cycle (dark reaction). Light-independent reaction happens in the presence of light.
Occurs in the thylakoids membrane and converts light energy to chemical energy. Water
one raw materials of photosynthesis is utilized during this stage and facilities the
formation of free electrons and oxygen. The energy harvested during this stage is stored
in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen). These products will be needed in the next stage
complete photosynthesis process.

Calvin cycle (dark reaction) is a light-independent phase that takes place in the stroma
and converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugar. This stage does not directly need light
but needs the products of the light reaction. This is why it occurs immediately after the
light-independent phase.
The chemical reaction for photosynthesis is:
CO2 + 6 H2O + light --> C6H12O6 + 6 O2.