Photosynthesis

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Photosynthesis
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What is Photosynthesis?

• Photosynthesis uses the energy of sunlight to
  convert water and carbon dioxide into high energy
  sugars and oxygen.

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The Equation
Ignore these 6s
Carbon Water Glucose(sugar)
Oxygen Dioxide
Ingredients (Reactants)
Products
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Photosynthesis might save the world!

• 6H2O 6CO2 ----------gt C6H12O6 6O2
• Because plants can suck up all of the bad carbon
  dioxide in the atmosphere!

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• Autotroph Can make their own food.
• Examples Plants, algae.
• Heterotroph Cannot make their own food.
• Examples Animals, We are!, A lion gets chemical
  energy from a deer its eats.

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Light and Pigments

• Sunlight is a form of ENERGY!
• Pigments are molecules that gather the suns
  energy. It absorbs specific wavelengths of light
  and reflects all others.
• The principle pigment in plants is chlorophyll.
  It absorbs light in the blue-violet and red
  regions and REFLECTS green. Thats why plants are
  green!
• Some plants contain red and orange pigments
  called carotenoids. The yellow pigment is
  xanthophyll and red/purple is anthocyanin.

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There are two stages in Photosynthesis

• Light-Dependent Reactions
• Light-Independent Reactions (Dark
  Reactions/Calvin Cycle)
• These both happen in the CHLOROPLAST.

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Light Reactions

• This happens in the Thylakoid in the chloroplast.
• It requires light.
• Makes ENERGY-
• ATP!!!

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Dark Reactions a.k.a. Calvin Cycle

• This happens in the Stroma of the chloroplast.
• This does not require light.

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Why is this important to us?

• We cannot make our own food(autotroph), we must
  get our food from plants(heterotroph).
• Plants are the first step in the food chain.
• The oxygen released during photosynthesis is
  necessary for all living things.

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Factors that Affect Photosynthesis

1. Water
2. Temperature
3. Light Intensity

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So, what about the Venus Fly Trap?! It eats
insects and its a plant!

• They eat insects and spiders.
• They get a lot of their food from photosynthesis,
  BUT plants also need essential minerals and amino
  acids that they get from the soil.
• The Venus Fly Trap usually lives in bogs where
  the soil is very acidic and minerals are scarce.