The light reactions start the process of photosynthesis. Some chemicals such as herbicides block the light responses that trigger the process of photosynthesis. Therefore, the herbicides act as photosynthetic inhibitors by binding to the chloroplast thylakoid membranes. The herbicides prevent electron transfers and inhibit carbon dioxide fixation and the production of energy that are necessary for the growth of weeds ( Gleason & Chollet, 2012) . Therefore, the chemicals used in the development of the herbicides disrupt their growth. The mechanisms entail diminishing the cell division and enlargement that is likely to affect the broadleaf weeds. On the other hand, the pigment inhibitors break down chlorophyll that is necessary for photosynthesis to occur. Some herbicides are regarded as seedling growth inhibitors that inhibit the growth of the young seedlings; hence interferes with the growth of the shoots and the roots ( Gleason & Chollet, 2012) . Certain herbicides work to inhibit the production of materials that are necessary for the growing weeds, such as lipids and amino acids.
The growth of weeds is primarily driven by electron transfer from the chlorophyll molecules to the cytochromes. The availability of sunlight activates the electrons that are eventually used in the carbon-fixing reaction. According to Young and Pierce (2014), photosynthesis inhibiting herbicides block the transfer of the electrons. As such, sunlight cannot be transformed into energy used by the weeds to generate new tissues to sustain life. Most of the available herbicides interact with the plant cells in a manner that causes damage to the energy in the sunlight. As a result, they cause severe photodynamic damage to the weeds. The herbicides that inhibit biosynthesis deprive the plant cells of photoprotection; hence causing damage to the chlorophyll.
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References
Gleason, F. K., & Chollet, R. (2012). Plant biochemistry . Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Young, S. L., & Pierce, F. J. (2014). Automation: The Future of Weed Control in Cropping Systems . Dordrecht: Springer.
