SMATH 10Boobies nest on the Ballestas island, south of Lima, Peru. Ballestas, along with other islands along the Peruvian coast, are home to nearly 4 million migratory birds including guanays, boobies and pelicans whose excrement is a prized natural fertilizer.

PhotosynthesisPhoto – light

Syn – withThesis – putting together

Formula6CO2 + 6 H2O + light C6H12O6 + 6O2

6 carbon dioxide molecules, plus 6 water molecules, plus light (in the presence of chlorophyll) makes 1 glucose molecule and 6 oxygen molecules.

chlorophyll

Materials Needed

Light:

Most light in the spectrum is reflected back into space. The color light reflected is the color light we see the object as being. The light that is not reflected by plants is absorbed and used for energy to make glucose during photosynthesis.

Plants appear green to us because they reflect green light, and absorb the other colors in the light spectrum.

Water: The process of photosynthesis needs the parts of water to keep it going.

H2O H+, H+, O, and electrons

Carbon dioxide: Plants use CO2 to provide the parts of the glucose molecule. This carbon dioxide is the waste product that animals exhale after cellular respiration.

Special Molecules:

NADP+ is an electron carrier. It’s job is to pick up electrons that come off when bonded molecules break apart.

NADP+ + electron NADPH

ChloroplastsPhotosynthesis

occurs in the chloroplasts of all leaves. (Remember that each leaf has lots of chloroplasts inside each cell!)

The space inside a chloroplast is called the STROMA. The little sacs are called the GRANA. Each stack of grana consists of individual THYLAKOIDS, which contain the chlorophyll.

Photosynthesis occurs in two phases: Light-Dependent and Light-Independent Reactions