Q.What are the important events and end products of light reaction ? OR Explain major steps of glycolysis. Where does this process occur in a cell ?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The light reaction occurs on the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast; it traps light energy and converts it into the chemical energy carriers ATP and NADPH, while splitting water and releasing O2.
Important events of the light reaction:
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Light absorption and excitation: Chlorophyll and accessory pigments in Photosystem II (PS II) and Photosystem I (PS I) absorb light and get excited, ejecting electrons from their reaction centres (P680 in PS II, P700 in PS I).
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Photolysis of water: To replace the electrons lost by PS II, water molecules are split on the inner (lumen) side of the thylakoid membrane: 2H2O -> 4H+ + 4e- + O2. This is the source of the O2 released during photosynthesis.
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Electron transport (the Z-scheme): Electrons ejected from PS II pass down an electron transport chain (plastoquinone, cytochrome b6f complex, plastocyanin) to PS I. As electrons move down this chain, protons (H+) are pumped from the stroma into the thylakoid lumen, building a proton gradient.
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Photophosphorylation: The proton gradient created across the thylakoid membrane drives protons back into the stroma through ATP synthase (CF0-CF1 particles), which phosphorylates ADP to ATP. This is called chemiosmosis.
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