Author
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WHITMARSH, CLIFFORD |
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Submitted to: Photosynthesis A Comprehensive Treatise
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Photosynthesis is the physico-chemical process by which plants, algae, and certain bacteria use light energy to drive the synthesis of organic compounds. Photosynthesis provides the energy and reduced carbon required for the survival of nearly all life on our planet, as well as the molecular oxygen necessary for the survival of oxygen consuming organisms. This chapter provides a conceptual view of photosynthesis in plants, focusing on the reactions that transform light energy into chemical free energy. The chapter will be used by students and scientists to understand the photosynthetic process and its role in plant growth and productivity. I was invited to write the chapter (20 book pages) by Dr. Raghavendra and it is being published by Cambridge University Press. Technical Abstract: Oxygenic photosynthesis depends on electron transfer from water to ferredoxin, a reaction that is energetically uphill. Plants use sunlight to drive this reaction and in the process convert light energy into several intermediate forms. This chapter describes the flow of energy through the photosynthetic apparatus, focusing on the proteins involved in electron and proton transport and their role in energy conversion. |
