Patrick Black

Professor Ryan Holcomb

Chemistry 1010

August 4, 2017

Photosynthesis

The science of chemistry involves everyone and everything. From genetic engineering to

just breathing air. Personally, I suffer from sleep apnea, which means my breathing stops when I

sleep. With the aid of a medical device, I can breath at night. We all need air, anyone who says

otherwise is selling something. For us to breathe the air on earth, there needs to be oxygen to

breathe. Without it, humanity could not survive on Earth. Where does this oxygen come from

exactly?

The process of oxygenic photosynthesis takes place when plants transform light energy,

water, and carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen and carbohydrates. If you were to write this

process in a balanced equation it might look like this:

CO2(g) + H2O(l) + Photons => CH2O(aq) + O2(g).

Inside the plants exists pigments known as chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobilins;

which trap certain shades of light. Chlorophylls trap red and blue wavelengths; carotenoids trap

blue-green light; and phycobilins absorb the remaining wavelengths that were not trapped by the

other pigments. The light is used inside chloroplasts (along with chromoplasts and leucoplasts) to

create the oxidation reduction reaction between the CO2 and H2O. This reaction transfers

electrons between the molecules, creating CH2O and O2. The carbohydrates are stored in the
chloroplasts and used as fuel for the plants. This enriches the plants with nutrients and allows

them to grow and continue to convert CO2 into O2. The O2 on the other hand, is released into

the atmosphere.

Anoxygenic photosynthesis works similarly to the oxygenic process. It can use different

electron donors however (i.e. H2S instead of H2O). While oxygenic photosynthesis typically

takes place with plant life, anoxygenic photosynthesis happens typically in bacteria instead. If

the bacteria were to use hydrogen sulfide instead of water, the byproduct would be solid sulfur

instead of oxygen.

Without this vital process, there would be no breathable air on Earth. To think that plants

and bacteria play such a vital role in our lives is astounding to say the least.
Works Cited
Photosynthesis. Dir. Sal Khan. Perf. Sal Khan. 2010.
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/photosynthesis-in-plants/introduction-to-
stages-of-photosynthesis/v/photosynthesis?v=-rsYk4eCKnA.

Vidyasagar, Aparna. 31 July 2015. https://www.livescience.com/51720-photosynthesis.html.