Photosynthesis - created from Mind Map

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Importance

Converts solar energy into chemical energy

Produces food(glucose) for plants

Other info

Occurs in chloroplasts

Only in daylight hours

Two chemical pathways

Requires energy from sun

First chemical pathway: Light-dependent reaction

Occurs in the grana

1) Chlorophyll embedded in the thylakoid membranes have their electron excited by the sun striking them

2)These high energy elcetrons are passed along a series of carrier molecules and their energy is used to make ATP from ADP

3) Water splits into H and O. O is released as a gas and the H is picked up by NADP and taken the next chemical reaction

Second chemical pathway: Light-independent reaction

Occurs in the stroma and also known as the Calvin cycle

1) CO2 and H enter a complex biochemical cycle. As they are passed around, extensive rearrangement occurs and glucose is formed.

2) Carbon dioxide and hydrogen are continuously fed into the cycle.

3) ATP (produced in the previous reaction) is used to run the cycle

Factors that affect the rate of the process are: temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration

Photosynthesis