Photosynthesis
Plants depend on chemical energy for development. Extracting the required chemical energy involves a complex process with a series of reactions to produce organic compounds. It involves carbon-fixation and light reactions. Various pigment molecules on plant leaves absorb solar energy and, using water absorbed, spark reactions to convert to chemical energy. Photosynthesis is the process through which plants and other living organisms turn light to chemical energy, which is later released to perform the organism's activities. Such chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules like sugar synthesized from carbon dioxide and water with oxygen being released as a waste product. The process of photosynthesis produces and maintains the content of oxygen on the piles of earth' atmosphere and releases plenty of energy responsible for life sustenance on earth. Photosynthetic organisms can synthesize their food directly from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight energy since they are photoautotrophs. However, not all organisms rely on carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis, as photo heterotrophs rely on organic compounds instead of carbon dioxide as a carbon source.
Types of Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis in chemical terms, is a light energize process that reduces the oxidation process with the light energy driving the water oxidation, producing oxygen and hydrogen ions along with electrons (Kromdijk, 2016). The photosynthesis of the two types is oxygenic photosynthesis and oxygenic photosynthesis, with the underlying photosynthesis principle being very similar. Oxygenic photosynthesis is seen in plants, cyanobacteria, and algae. During the process of oxygenic photosynthesis, electrons are transferred by light energy from water to carbon dioxide producing carbohydrates (Xo et al., 201). During this transfer, there is a reduction in carbon dioxide as the water gets oxidized, thus producing oxygen and carbohydrates. The oxygenic photosynthesis process takes in carbon dioxide released by all living organisms and emits oxygen into the atmosphere, thus acting as a counterbalance to respiration.
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Oxygenic photosynthesis occurs in bacteria such as purple bacteria and green sulfur bacteria that reside in aquatic habitat by using electron donors rather than water. This process does now give oxygen as the end product relies on the electron donor.
Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplast, around the grana region, the innermost of the organelle; a group of disc-shaped like membranes arranged in the plate-like columns with individual discs named thylakoids where electron transfer takes place with the empty spaces in between the grana columns constituting the stoma. There is a great similarity between chloroplast and mitochondrion since they both have a genome, a collection of genes, which encode essentials of protein to photosynthesis as well as an organelle (Kim, 2015). Chloroplast, like mitochondrion, is believed to originate from bacterial primitive cells via the endosymbiosis process.
Pigments give plants their color and help the plant trap the sunlight energy that is vital for the process of photosynthesis to occur. Chlorophyll pigments are green in color and supports by trapping blue and red light rays.
Organisms that are photosynthetic eukaryotic contain organelles known as plastids inside their cytoplasm. The primary plastids are the double membrane plastids found in algae and plants, and the multiple membrane types which are got in planktons being regarded as the secondary plastids. These plastids have pigments that are responsible for storing nutrients, with non-pigmented leucoplast storing fats and starch.
The Process of Photosynthesis
The photosynthesis process in plants falls into two categories, with one group requiring light while the other does not. Notably, both the reactions occur in the chloroplast while the light-dependent process takes in thylakoid, and stoma handles light-independent reactions. In the light-dependent reaction type of photosynthesis, pigment molecules such as chlorophyll release electrons when a light photon hits the reaction center. The electrons are released to travel through an electron transport system that produces the energy required to give adenosine triphosphate, the chemical energy source. The original pigment's electron hole is filled by obtaining electrons from water and producing oxygen.
Light photosynthesis process produces rich sources to drive dark reactions and produce three chemical reactions like carbon fixation, reduction, and regeneration, completing the Calvin cycle. The chemical reaction processes rely on water and catalyst that fix carbon atoms from the carbon dioxide by building into organic molecules, resulting in three-carbon sugars eventually with the sugars being used to make glucose to start the Calvin cycle fresh (El-Khouly, 2017). During the photosynthesis process, six molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) mix with 12 molecules of water (H2O), leading to the formation of a single carbohydrate molecule called glucose together with six molecules of breathable oxygen and water each. Pigment molecules contain protein, which creates flexibility to advance towards the direction of light.
My Interest in Photosynthesis
Clean burning fuels such as hydrogen or methane can be generated using photosynthetic organisms as green algae can produce hydrogen for some seconds when exposed to a dark oxygen-free environment and later exposed to light. This fascinating discovery can lead to clean-burning energy production that will help reduce the environmental impact caused by other burning fuels like diesel, which emit huge smokes, thus polluting the environment.
Photosynthesis can be used to minimize carbon dioxide into fuels and polymers by using the sunlight's energy. Scientists have made discoveries and made an artificial photosynthesis system to capture carbon dioxide through nanowires that feed into the system to minimize the carbon dioxide inside the polymer. Photosynthesis is also vital to scientists in developing new ideas to use different renewable energy sources.
The photosynthesis process is key to life's existence on the earth's surface, as the process is relied on by both plants and animal organisms. Plants use photosynthesis to manufacture food by using sunlight, and animals rely on plants for their food, thus creating an ecological dependence. This ecological dependence key to the existence of both plants and animals in the ecosystem as without the process, there will be no living organism.
How to Use the Process in My Future Biological Studies
The planets' living organisms system is powered by photosynthesis, with the main goal being to convert light energy into chemical energy that stores the chemical energy for future use. The photosynthesis process can educate people on the importance of plants and how the simple process impacts our everyday lives. The process will enable us to understand the relationship between plants and animals as both organisms practice respiration, but unlike animals, plants also practice photosynthesis, thus making plants the givers. The oxygen that animals breathe is a photosynthesis product, while animals release carbon dioxide as a byproduct of respiration. This process should help us understand the relationship between plants and animals and how they both aid in the respiration cycle that is vital for life support.
The study of photosynthesis is vital for the agricultural revolution on genetic engineering, which has led to an increase in plant productivity and reducing malnutrition globally. Over the decades, scientists have developed ways to change plants deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to create disease and drought resistant, high yielding, and improved plants. Developing a plant with such traits is a complex process that may result in genetic engineering, improving photosynthesis. Many companies have invested heavily in genetically approved plants, thus promoting employment and improving livelihood in the community. The process has also helped develop species continuity by relying on technology to create improve plant species that will stand the current weather conditions.
References
El-Khouly, M. E., El-Mohsnawy, E., & Fukuzumi, S. (2017). Solar energy conversion: From natural to artificial photosynthesis. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews, 31 , 36-83.
Kim, D., Sakimoto, K. K., Hong, D., & Yang, P. (2015). Artificial photosynthesis for sustainable fuel and chemical production. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English), 54 (11), 3259–3266. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201409116
Kromdijk, J., Głowacka, K., Leonelli, L., Gabilly, S. T., Iwai, M., Niyogi, K. K., & Long, S. P. (2016). Improving photosynthesis and crop productivity by accelerating recovery from photoprotection. Science, 354 (6314), 857-861.
Xu, C., Hosseini, B., S., Hao, Y., Rachaputi, R., Wang, H., Xu, Z. & Wallace, H. (2014). Effect of biochar amendment on yield and photosynthesis of peanut on two types of soils. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 22 :6112–6125. DOI 10.1007/s11356-014-3820-9
