Synthesis: The Process Of The Stages Of Photosynthesis

Introduction

Photosynthesis is the way green plants use light to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose (Photosynthesis, 2005). Oxygen is given off during this process (Photosynthesis, 2005). The formula for the photosynthesis reaction is stated below. 6 H20 (water) + 6 CO2 (carbon dioxide) (sunlight) C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6 O2 (oxygen)

Photosynthesis can be squandered down to two parts: the light reactions and the dark reactions. The light reactions, the first stage of photosynthesis, takes place in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast and convert a photon (light energy) into chemical energy by exciting an electron into a higher orbital. The reaction starts a series of chain reactions that end up with the end products of ATP

This process converts carbon from carbon dioxide to glucose (Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.). Oxygen is given off as a byproduct.

The main differences between these two processes are where they are located, light dependence, reactants and products of the two, and whether something is being broken down (light reaction) or being made (dark reaction).

The main reason as to why photosynthesis is so important to the world is again due to carbon fixation. Without plants purifying the carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen, the oxygen levels in the air would be so low that this planet would no longer be habitable by many of the inhabitants currently. The oxygen of our present atmosphere was generated by ancient cyanobacteria (Martin F. Hohmann-Marriott, 2011). Also it takes needed energy from the sun and converts it into something organisms can use, contributing the net of energy the world runs

Next ten of the leaf disks are to be put in a syringe, and then the syringe will need to soak up four mL of a solution. Then the experimenter will put his or her thumb over the tip of the syringe and slowly pull back the stopper. This process will need to be repeated as necessary until all of the leaf disks in the solution sink to the bottom of the solution instead of floating.

Investigation 1 baseline

There was a baseline investigation conducted involving two cups with 300 mL of a solution with distilled water and another two cups with 300 mL of sodium bicarbonate, or NaHCO3. A set of cups (one distilled water solution and one sodium bicarbonate solution) were placed under a 60 watt lightbulb and another set was placed in a darkened area with no light involvement. A syringe of degassed leaf disks (please see Degassing of leaf disks in the earlier section) was then dispensed into each cup. For the next twenty minutes, the solutions were checked upon every 60 seconds to see if any of the leaf disks had floated up to the top. This experiment showed photosynthesis results as the release of oxygen gas, which would then lift the leaf disk