THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PLANT, DO PHOTOSYNTHESIS IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE!
Unlike animals, plants can produce their own food through photosynthesis. This is a chemical process by which they transform inorganic substances into organic ones through the absorption of sunlight, water and CO2. Thanks to this, plants can grow and develop while generating oxygen for the planet.
With photosynthesis, plants are able to grow and develop while providing the oxygen that makes life on Earth possible. This is just one of the reasons why plant photosynthesis is one of the most important processes, because without it, life as we know it would not be possible.
I can cosider diferent types of organisms according to their way of getting the food:
AUTOTROPHS
The autotrophs are all organisms that can produce their own food. The Greek roots of the word autotroph mean “self” (auto) and "feeder" (troph).
Plants are the best-known autotrophs, but others exist, including certain types of bacteria and algae.
PHOTOAUTOTROPHS
Photoautotrophs are a type of autotroph that uses sunlight and carbon from carbon dioxide to synthesize chemical energy in the form of carbohydrates. Therefore, we can consider that plants are photoautotrophs.
HETEROTROPHS
Heterotrophs are all organisms incapable of photosynthesis therefore, they need to obtain energy and carbon from food by consuming other organisms.
PARTS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTIONS
This part takes place in the thylakoid membrane. It is the process in which Chlorophyll, which is a fat-soluble pigment found naturally in plants, absorbs energy from sunlight and then converts it into chemical energy with the use of water. This chemical energy will be used by the Calvin cycle to fuel the assembly of sugar molecules.
CALVIN CYCLE
The Calvin cycle is the term used for the reaction of photosynthesis that uses the energy stored by the light-dependent reactions to form glucose and other carbohydrate molecules.
The Calvin cycle is where we are building the sugar molecules. It takes place on the Stagma. There are three stages through the Calvin cycle:
Fixation
Reduction
Regeneration
PHOTOSYNTHESIS EQUATION
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Light intensity
This is a factor that affects photosynthesis, since the photosynthetic rate increases progressively as light intensity increases, until it reaches a constant value.
Temperature
The photosynthetic rate also increases as temperature increases. In addition, cellular respiration increases where glucose is utilized. The process is efficient between 10oC and 35oC.
Water
Para las plantas terrestres, la disponibilidad de agua puede funcionar como un factor limitante de la fotosíntesis y el crecimiento de la planta. Además de la necesidad de una pequeña cantidad de agua en la propia reacción fotosintética, las hojas transpiran grandes cantidades de agua; es decir, el agua se evapora de las hojas a la atmósfera a través de los estomas.
En climas cálidos y áridos, los estomas pueden cerrarse para conservar agua, pero este cierre limita la entrada de dióxido de carbono y, por tanto, la tasa de fotosíntesis.
Minerals
Several minerals are required for healthy plant growth and for maximum rates of photosynthesis. Nitrogen, sulfate, phosphate, iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium are required in substantial amounts for the synthesis of amino acids, proteins, coenzymes, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), chlorophyll and other pigments, and other essential plant constituents. Smaller amounts of such elements as manganese, copper, and chloride are required in photosynthesis. Some other trace elements are needed for various nonphotosynthetic functions in plants.
Carbon dioxide
It is also a factor that affects photosynthesis because constant water consumption benefits the absorption of carbon dioxide through the opening of the stomata.
This leads to an increase in photosynthetic rate as carbon dioxide concentration increases up to a certain limit.
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