Table of Contents
Do light reactions produce NADPH?
The energy of light captured by pigment molecules, called chlorophylls, in chloroplasts is used to generate high-energy electrons with great reducing potential. These electrons are used to produce NADPH as well as ATP in a series of reactions called the light reactions because they require light.
Do light-dependent reactions convert NADP+ into NADPH?
In the light-dependent reactions, which take place at the thylakoid membrane, chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight and then converts it into chemical energy with the use of water. The lower energy form, NADP+, picks up a high energy electron and a proton and is converted to NADPH.
How is NADPH formed?
NADPH is formed on the stromal side of the thylakoid membrane, so it is released into the stroma. In a process called non-cyclic photophosphorylation (the “standard” form of the light-dependent reactions), electrons are removed from water and passed through PSII and PSI before ending up in NADPH.
What do light-dependent reactions produce?
The light-dependent reactions convert light energy into chemical energy. The goal of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis is to collect energy from the sun and break down water molecules to produce ATP and NADPH.
Where is NADPH produced?
Where does the NADPH created during the light reactions accumulate?
thylakoid membranes
The light-dependent reaction is a photochemical reaction taking place in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts, where light energy is transformed into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH).
What is the NADPH responsible for?
NADPH is an energy-carrying molecule produced in the first stage of photosynthesis. It provides energy to fuel the Calvin cycle in the second stage of photosynthesis.
What role does NADPH play in photosynthesis?
NADPH is a product of the first level of photosynthesis. It helps to fuel the reactions that occur in the second stage of the process of photosynthesis. Plant cells require light energy, water, and carbon dioxide for carrying out the steps of the photosynthesis process.
How and where is NADPH produced?
How are ATP and NADPH produced in light dependent reactions?
ATP and NADPH produced by the light-dependent reactions of the photosystems are used by the Calvin cycle in the stroma of the chloroplast. Molecules of CO 2 gas are fixed into molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme Rubisco.
Where do the light dependent reactions take place?
Figure 1 The light-dependent reactions harness energy from the sun to produce ATP and NADPH. These energy-carrying molecules travel into the stroma where the Calvin cycle reactions take place.
What is the role of NADPH in photosynthesis?
ATP is the energy storage molecule and NADPH is the reduced electron carrier. Photosystems play a key role in the light reactions of photosynthesis. A photosystem is formed by the grouping of pigments and proteins, of which the pigments absorb photons or bundles of light energy.
How are energy carriers used in light dependent reactions?
After the energy is released, the “empty” energy carriers return to the light-dependent reactions to obtain more energy. You should be familiar with the energy carrier molecules used during cellular respiration: NADH and FADH 2. Photosynthesis uses a different energy carrier, NADPH, but it functions in a comparable way.