Page 148 - Photosynthesis: The Green Miracle

Sunlight

Heat

Glucose
Oxygen
O
2
Water
Carbon H O
dioxide 2
CO
2

Light-dependent reactions Non-light dependent reactions

The illustrations show a simplified description of what goes on in photo-
synthesis. Side products such as oxygen and glucose emerge as a result
of elements such as carbon dioxide and oxygen combining with solar
energy.

In order for the carbohydrate molecules we commonly call sugar to
be formed from carbon dioxide and water, exceedingly complex and del-
icate measures and processes must be implemented. These processes in-
volve very complex systems working at the atomic level, and even at the
level of the electrons orbiting around them.
In the process, there are a large number of elements, consisting of dif-

ferent pigments, various salts, minerals, trace elements (such as ferredox-
in and adenosine triphosphate), sub-catalysts, and other substances and
chemicals with various different responsibilities. Bearing in mind that
plants need 30 different proteins just to produce a sugar molecule as sim-
ple as saccharose, you can see just how complex the entire system is.

Components of the Photosynthesis Process

Chloroplasts: Plant cells and animal cells possess the same general
features, but the most important difference between these two is that
plant cells also contain a green plastid, the chloroplast, in which it makes

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