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Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen, crucial for life on Earth. Chloroplasts, containing chlorophyll, are the organelles where this process occurs, primarily in the leaf's mesophyll layer. This process not only provides energy for living organisms but also produces oxygen and helps regulate the Earth's climate by sequestering carbon dioxide.

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15 views7 pages

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen, crucial for life on Earth. Chloroplasts, containing chlorophyll, are the organelles where this process occurs, primarily in the leaf's mesophyll layer. This process not only provides energy for living organisms but also produces oxygen and helps regulate the Earth's climate by sequestering carbon dioxide.

Uploaded by

mythriswaminathan6009
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Photosynthesis is a fundamental process on Earth, literally fueling

life! It's how plants, algae, and some bacteria capture light energy
from the sun and convert it into chemical energy they can use to grow
and survive. Here's a breakdown of photosynthesis:

The Players:

Light: Sunlight provides the energy to power photosynthesis.


Water (H2O): Absorbed by the plant roots and transported
throughout the plant.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Taken in from the atmosphere through
tiny openings on the leaves called stomata.
Chlorophyll: A green pigment found in chloroplasts, the "power
plants" of the cell. Chlorophyll absorbs specific wavelengths of
sunlight.
Chloroplasts: These organelles within plant cells contain
chlorophyll and are the sites where photosynthesis takes place.

The Process:

Photosynthesis can be summarized by the following equation:

Sunlight + Water + Carbon Dioxide --> Glucose (Sugar) + Oxygen

Layers of a Leaf:

The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. It has several


layers, each playing a crucial role in the process:

1. Cuticle: A waxy outer layer that helps prevent water loss.


2. Epidermis: A single layer of tightly packed cells that protects the
leaf from insects and diseases. It also contains guard cells that
control the opening and closing of stomata.
Opens in a new window
wikipedia.org

Leaf Epidermis
3. Mesophyll: The middle layer of the leaf, containing most of the
chloroplasts. It is further divided into two layers:
Palisade mesophyll: The upper layer with densely packed,
elongated cells containing numerous chloroplasts. This is the
primary site of light capture in photosynthesis.
Spongy mesophyll: The lower layer with loosely packed,
irregularly shaped cells. It allows for gas exchange between
the atmosphere and the cells within the leaf.

Opens in a new window


socratic.org Mesophyll Palisade and Spongy
4. Veins: Xylem and phloem tissues that transport water, nutrients,
and sugar throughout the plant.
Opens in a new window
physics.aps.org

Leaf Veins

Importance of Photosynthesis:

Photosynthesis is critical for life on Earth for several reasons:

Energy Source: It provides the primary energy source for most


living organisms. Plants capture sunlight and convert it into
usable energy, which is then transferred through the food chain
when herbivores eat plants and carnivores eat herbivores.
Oxygen Production: Photosynthesis releases oxygen (O2) as a
byproduct. This oxygen is vital for cellular respiration, the process
by which organisms convert glucose into energy.
Carbon Sequestration: Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a
greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere. This helps regulate the
Earth's climate.

In conclusion, photosynthesis is a fascinating and vital biological


process. It underpins the flow of energy within ecosystems and
shapes the very atmosphere we breathe.

What is a Chloroplast?
Chloroplasts are found in all green plants and algae. They are the
food producers of plants. These are found in mesophyll cells located
in the leaves of the plants. They contain a high concentration of
chlorophyll that traps sunlight. This cell organelle is not present in
animal cells.

Chloroplast has its own extra-nuclear DNA and therefore are


semiautonomous, like mitochondria. They also produce proteins and
lipids required for the production of chloroplast membrane.

Also Read: Plastids

Diagram of Chloroplast
The chloroplast diagram below represents the chloroplast structure
mentioning the different parts of the chloroplast. The parts of a
chloroplast such as the inner membrane, outer membrane,
intermembrane space, thylakoid membrane, stroma and lamella can
be clearly marked out.

Chloroplast Diagram representing Chloroplast Structure


Structure of Chloroplast
Chloroplasts are found in all higher plants. It is oval or
biconvex, found within the mesophyll of the plant cell. The size of
the chloroplast usually varies between 4-6 µm in diameter and 1-3 µm
in thickness. They are double-membrane organelle with the presence
of outer, inner and intermembrane space. There are two distinct
regions present inside a chloroplast known as the grana and stroma.

Grana are made up of stacks of disc-shaped structures known as


thylakoids or lamellae. The grana of the chloroplast consists of
chlorophyll pigments and are the functional units of chloroplasts.
Stroma is the homogenous matrix which contains grana and is
similar to the cytoplasm in cells in which all the organelles are
embedded. Stroma also contains various enzymes, DNA,
ribosomes, and other substances. Stroma lamellae function by
connecting the stacks of thylakoid sacs or grana.

The chloroplast structure consists of the following parts:

Membrane Envelope
It comprises inner and outer lipid bilayer membranes. The inner
membrane separates the stroma from the intermembrane space.

Intermembrane Space
The space between inner and outer membranes.

Thylakoid System (Lamellae)


The system is suspended in the stroma. It is a collection of
membranous sacs called thylakoids or lamellae. The green coloured
pigments called chlorophyll are found in the thylakoid membranes. It
is the sight for the process of light-dependent reactions of
the photosynthesis process. The thylakoids are arranged in stacks
known as grana and each granum contains around 10-20 thylakoids.

Stroma
It is a colourless, alkaline, aqueous, protein-rich fluid present within
the inner membrane of the chloroplast present surrounding the
grana.

Grana
Stack of lamellae in plastids is known as grana. These are the sites of
conversion of light energy into chemical energy.

Chlorophyll
It is a green photosynthetic pigment that helps in the process of
photosynthesis.

Also read: Light-dependent Reactions

Functions of Chloroplast
Following are the important chloroplast functions:

The most important function of the chloroplast is to synthesise


food by the process of photosynthesis.
Absorbs light energy and converts it into chemical energy.
Chloroplast has a structure called chlorophyll which functions by
trapping the solar energy and is used for the synthesis of food in
all green plants.
Produces NADPH and molecular oxygen (O2) by photolysis of
water.
Produces ATP – Adenosine triphosphate by the process of
photosynthesis.
The carbon dioxide (CO2) obtained from the air is used to
generate carbon and sugar during the Calvin Cycle or dark
reaction of photosynthesis.

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