The Basics...
What is photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is a process where plants, and some bacteria, convert the energy of sunlight to chemical energy that can be used by living organisms. The overall equation for photosynthesis is...
6CO2 + 6 H2O + sunlight energyPlugin execution pending approval
This plugin was recently added or modified. Until an editor of the site validates the parameters, execution will not be possible.
External Links
Here are some links to explore to better understand photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis Text - a page explaining photosynthesis with nice text and pictures throughout. It also has review questions and links at the end.
Light Reaction Animation - a nice, simple, and clear animation of the light reactions of photosynthesis with voice-overs.
Calvin Cycle Animation - a narrated animation showing the steps of the Calvin Cycle.
Photosynthesis Interactive - a rather comprehensive interactive walk-through of photosynthesis. Probably best viewed after viewing the simpler animations above.
Wikipedia Stomata - a good overview of stomata and C4 and CAM plant adaptations to hot, dry environments.
Cactus Survival - this site explains various adaptations that a cactus has developed to survive in the harsh desert environment.
Photosynthesis Links - this site has links to a considerable number of other sites that explain all you ever wanted to know about photosynthesis. Many are papers written by researchers.
Ultimate Guide to Photosynthesis - another site with links to a variety of photosynthesis sites.
The links below are to learn more about ATP Synthase. They are in order from simplest to most complex.
- ATP Synthase 1 - animation
- ATP Synthase 2 - animation
- ATP Synthase 3 - animation