PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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PHOTOSYNTHESIS
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Photosynthesis

• A process, in which, plants and algae are able to
  capture energy from the sun and use it to produce
  ATP energy storing carbohydrates

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3 Stages of Photosynthesis

• Stage 1 Capturing Light Energy
• Chlorophyll Pigment that absorbs (certain
  wavelengths) light, which helps in the gathering
  of energy for photosynthesis
• Chlorophyll is found in the chloroplast of the
  cell most specifically in a disk-like structure
  called a thylakoid

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Side note ATP

• Remember from yesterday ?
• ATP can store energy and deliver it to cells
• Now continuing to stage 2

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• Stage 2 Using Light Energy to Make ATP and
  NADPH
• Light hits the chloroplast exciting the electrons
  causing them to pass through a chain of electron
  carriers.
• This energy is used to pump protons into the
  thylakoid and continues until it reaches
  capacity (its ready to burst!)
• Diffusion sends the protons back out and upon
  exiting ATP is formed
• The excited electrons continue to pass through
  more electron carriers until it attaches to NADP
  forming . NADPH
• Now we are powered up for stage 3!!

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• Stage 3 Building Carbohydrates
• Plants capture the CO2 in the atmosphere
• The carbon is then turned into organic molecules
  (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins)
• This takes place through the Calvin Cycle (which
  is run from the energy produced in stage 2)

Unbalanced ?
Balanced ?
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• Thought question
• You may have heard that if you want to help a
  plant grow you should talk to it. Why is that?