Photosynthesis and Respiration Paper

Photosynthesis and Respiration Paper

Tawni A. Ledo

BIO/240

February 15, 2016

Dr. Michelle Gray

Photosynthesis and Respiration Paper

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration have a unique and yet very important relationship to one another. This association permits for life as we know it to be existent on the most simplest of terms to the most complex. The yields of one of the routes are the reactants of the other. If you notice the equivalence of cellular respiration is the exact opposite of that for photosynthesis. For instance, the written formula for cellular respiration is The formula for aerobic cellular respiration is C6H12O6 + O2 → CO2 + H2O + Energy (as ATP) the word equation for this is:

Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy (as ATP). Meanwhile, the written formula for photosynthesis is 6 CO2 (gas) + 12 H2O (liquid) + photons → C6H12O6 (aqueous) + 6 O2 (gas) + 6 H2O (liquid) carbon dioxide + water + light energy → glucose + oxygen + water. As you have noticed, the formulas are switched around for each process.

        The light dependent reactions transmute light energy into chemical energy for the plant, which is locked in and then passed by the processes known as Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and then moves onto the Calvin Cycle.        The light dependent reactions require chlorophyll and take place in the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast (Reese, 2012). This type of reaction produces oxygen and is responsible for producing electrons and hydrogen, which in turn causes a reduction of NADP to NADPH. The light reactions tend to eradicate electrons from over animated chlorophyll molecules in both photosystems I and II. This then helps to pass the greater energy electrons along the transport sequence, which then releases energy to make ATP, or it transferences the electrons to NADP. The light reactions need to take place numerous times to produce ATP and NADPH in order to complete the process for the Calvin Cycle to occur.

Stage II is the Calvin Cycle, which is the light independent process which is sometimes referred to as the Dark Reactions. Six molecules of Carbon dioxide each come together with 6 molecules of a 5-carbon sugar (Ribulose bisphosphate) and go through a decrease to form 3-carbon molecules. Ten of the 12 molecules of G3P are recycled to bring back more ribulose bisphosphate to preserve the sequence so it can continue in an ongoing fashion. Two of the 12 G3P are transformed to carbohydrates and glucose (Reese, 2012). These photosynthetic reactions do not need to use light for the energy source, so they use the processes they need to without light. They use the ATP created in the light reactions for their energy foundation, and at this point in the Calvin Cycle they use the energy transference molecule, NADPH. Carbohydrate particles are manufactured during the Calvin Cycle in the stroma of the chloroplast.