Here is the net photosynthesis equation:

6CO2 + 12H20 + light photons - C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

We start with six molecules of carbon dioxide + 12 water molecules + photons

We end up with 1 glucose molecule, 6 water molecules and 6 oxygen molecules

Two things to note:

--It is the water molecules that are split, NOTthe CO2 molecule. The CO2 is used to make the glucose molecule.

--Water (H2O) appears on both sides of the equation. The water molecules that come out the other end are not the water molecules that go in. Plants rearrange the atoms.

The equation gives you the general idea of photosynthesis in the sense that saying iron ore, plastic, bauxite, glass, etc go into the making of an Aston Martin. It tells you the raw materials that are the starting point but nothing about how to build a car.

Photosynthesis takes place in little “organelles” called chloroplasts. Physically chloroplasts in land plants appear to be discs about 5 micrometres in diameter. Every leaf cell in a land plant contains 10-100 chloroplasts.

Chloroplasts are exquisitely precise little nano-factories. For decades scientists have been trying to piece together what goes on inside the factory.

One part of the "manufacturing process" requires a manganese-based catalyst. And this is where Vittal Yachandra(1) comes in. He has spent over a quarter of a century trying to figure the structure of this one catalyst.

He explains his work in this youtube video, How Plants Do it: Light, Oxygen, Action! (2)

This is not a slick video. There is no music, no special effects. It’s just a video of a lecture given at Stanford. It provides an insight into how a real scientist spends his time.

This is what most science is about – the patient piecing together of bits of a puzzle to see how they fit into the greater whole. If Dr. Yachandra cracks it he may get a Nobel prize. As you’ll see from the video, he and his team are getting close.

(1) http://pbd.lbl.gov/PBD_web_site/web_site/html/about/people/yachandra.html

(2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvZ-uAdfKH4

Dear Steven,

Thanks for the links.

Almost as good as watching the Big Bang Theory.

Interesting world you live in.

Thanks Lexi

Yep, science is endlessly fascinating. To quote Steven Weinberg:

>>The effort to understand the universe is one of the very few things which lifts human life a little above the level of farce and gives it some of the grace of tragedy.>>

For those who are interested:

The 12 "output" oxygen atoms (6O2) come from the 12 "input" water molecules.

The 24 hydrogen atoms in the "input" water molecules are split as follows:

--12 end up in the glucose molecule

--12 end up in the "ouput" water molecules.

All six of the carbon atoms in the "input" CO2 end up in the glucose molecule.

of the 12 oxygen molecules in the input CO2, 6 end up in the glucose molecule and 6 in the "output" water molecules.

The "output" water thus gets its hydrogen atoms from the "input" water and its oxygen items from the "input" CO2 molecules.

Here is a link to a youtube video with a 5 minute introduction to what we know about photosynthesis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj_WKgnL6MI

And here is a link to a piece explaining the role of the manganese catalyst.

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/PBD-water-split.html

And just to demonstrate that this is an ongoing story:

New Twist on Life’s Power Source

http://carnegiescience.edu/news/new_twist_life_s_power_source

Some organisms break the rules.

Stanford, CA — A startling discovery by scientists at the Carnegie Institution puts a new twist on photosynthesis... Photosynthesis by plants, algae, and some bacteria supports nearly all living things by producing food from sunlight, and in the process these organisms release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. But two studies by Arthur Grossman and colleagues...suggest that certain marine microorganisms have evolved a way to break the rules—they get a significant proportion of their energy without a net release of oxygen or uptake of carbon dioxide. This discovery impacts not only scientists’ basic understanding of photosynthesis, but importantly, it may also impact how microorganisms in the oceans affect rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.>>

No one expected that!

Dear Steven,

Are there any studies to improve the process of
microorganisms absorbing more carbon as a contribution
to the current carbon pollution concerns?

If nature creates the problem - nature should be
able to resolve the problem.

Aah, a breath of fresh air! Thanks for sharing.

In my brief foray into science at uni, photosynthesis was something that fascinated me. It seemed to me that, if we could duplicate the process, there would be many rewards just waiting to be uncovered. Even if we can't, understanding the process better would give us some opportunities to exploit (hopefully in the positive sense of the word) these little natural factories.

Dear Steven,

One big ask. I seem to recall that some time ago on this
forum you gave us a link to an incredible image that left
us all in awe. It was a work of art - I can't remember
the subject - except that it was awesome.

Do you have an image of phtosynthesis that you could
refer us to - that would equally take our breath away?

its hard to award honours
via youtube...[publish or perish?]

so i visited the press room
on your idols link

to quote

""Learning how nature splits water
PBD scientists Junko Yano and Vittal Yachandra
have led an international team or researchers toward a major new understanding

..about how plants and photosynthetic lifeforms use sunlight to split water molecules into protons,electrons and oxygen,

the cornerstone of photosynthesis.""

all clever stuff no doudt
watching..*how god does it

""Their work,
detailed in the November 3,2006 issue of the journal Science,""

seems a belated 'honour'
this guy isnt a jew?

noting..the need for a current destraction
from the goings on..in the land of the new jew
[thus this..raising this issue..5 years after the fact..?]

never the less
lets keep an open mind

...""seems a long bow shows""
[lol their words]

""the precise structure of a catalyst*
composed of..four manganese atoms and one calcium atom""

are these
in your clever math formula?

i seem to recall the other jewish formulator
what made E=mc2 as his claim to fame

to wit energy equals mass times the speed of light
times the speed of light...lol..basic gibberish..

that gives a mass [weight][..times a distance..
to make a formulated SMOKESCREEN math formula
for that 'other'..god ENERGY*

here we have another MATH blinder..
""that drives this water-splitting reaction.""

so lets look at this new formula
[did he 'make it'..?]

[red herring?]
..with clear eyes

""6CO2""
six molecules of carbon dioxide

""+ 12H20""
[plus 12 water molecules

""+ light photons""

supplied from god..!

science still cant decide..if its a particle or a wave
[when clearly a photon is a particle...lol]

some clever gibberish""-""

then..';'
is this a clever sign
that means results or equals?

=..""C6H12O6
+ 6H2O
+ 6O2""

""We start with + photons""
water and that dreaded POISEN[lol]..c02
""We end up with 1 glucose molecule,
6 water molecules and 6 oxygen molecules""

heck i was taught that stuff in grade 4

""The findings *could..[lol]..help researchers
synthesize molecules that mimic this catalyst,""

no the catalist
is the forementioned
""four manganese atoms and one calcium atom""
ie synthasised
then gods photon
cuts the nucleaic bond

""which is a central focus
in the push to develop clean energy technologies""

lol i hate that buzzword
but it got the funding..to make this guy fame-ouass

""that rely on sunlight to split water
and form hydrogen to feed fuel cells or other non-polluting power sources.""

“This is the first study to combine x-ray absorption spectroscopy""

does this need coal or petro energy to run?

""and crystallography
in such a detailed manner to determine
*the structure..[lol]..of an active metal site..lol
in a protein,..especially something...*as complicated..lol]
as the photosynthetic Mn4Ca cluster,”..said Junko Yano.

More at science@berkeley lab.""

forgive me for not lording up this dude
or bowing before.." To quote Steven Weinberg:""

or others with adgendas..
that seek grabbing of glory

or just petty [pretty pictures]
lol

Lexi,

This is the link: (thought it was worth re-posting)
http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/mandelbulb.html#background

lesie levie..quote..""Are there any studies
to improve the process of..microorganisms""

ie man..made..ie..'study'
of god created microorganism..lol


""absorbing more carbon""

well dear yes there is
it seems if we spead iron oxide
attatched to a fat molicule..into the oceans
the god given micro/organisms..in the oceans..absorb your c02

but you go on..
carbon..""as a contribution
to the current carbon pollution concerns?""

mate
casrbon is the basis of ALL LIFE
not a polutant..[except by clever lies and spin]

trees and animals absorb it
indeed NEED IT TO LIVE

its NOT A POLUTANT..!
only lies spin and eciets have made it APPEAR to be so
so your labratter party can tax it
[and buy eurpean polution permits
to bailout the fast failing EU]

while underpinning a rate
DOUBLE the..*current market rate

""If nature creates the problem
nature should be able to resolve the problem.""

MATER
nature never created the problem
AND yes nature can and has been fixing it

god is natural[nature is..gods nurture]

science is ANTI god..[anti nature]

yet next
we get this from a known believer of god

""Aah,..a breath of fresh air!
Thanks for sharing.""

then this
""you gave us a link to an incredible image
that left us all in awe.""

clearly some closeup IMAGE FROM NATURE
to wit a god proof..!

""It was a work of art -I can't remember
the subject -except that it was awesome.""

yes god is
BUT THEN THIS

""Do you have an image of phtosynthesis..
....*that would equally take our breath away?""

lol

the holy spirit
was often called holy breath
[spiritus../breath]

[god breathed life..*into you..!
then made plants..to make KEEP clean..our foul breath]

first give back
to god...*[good]

Dear Poirot,

Thanks for that. Definitely worth re-posting.
Totally awesome!

oh the link has been posted
the man del brot

only workable by tricks of vision
make your own mandalbrot cut-outs..of cardboard

they only work as imagry
the actual shapes..in card board dont work

its all just *too clever
hype-notic

better to go outside
fall onto your knee's
and look at the life in the dirt
sustained its living by god...[now thats amasing]

and right in your own back yard

OUG,

Whether it's down to God or whatever, humans are inquiring beings. We strive to understand our predicament and we reflect our concepts...it's all connected.
Here are some images of the interior of the Capilla Rosario - not that far removed from the mandelbulb and designed for the glory of "God".

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=interior+capilla+rosario+images

pure 0
to see gods perfection
isnt about seeing ANYTHING..from the hand of man

simply look at your own dainty pretty hand
a marvel..science cant come close to replicating

or look at your pretty feet
no clay shaped by man..can come close to their sensual fullness

you can break your dainty nail
and god fixes it for you 'naturally'
it retains its perfection..not alone here in this material realm

but away into eternity

look at how amasing life is

try it right this second if you will

go outside..look for a bare patch of dirt
[or gently brush away the blades of grass]

and in seconds you see the amasing hand of the living loving god
in the amasing things only he made...and then sustains to live

art is a two dimentional copy
or gods three/four 5/6/7..multidimential uni-verse

just like a man-dull/brott..the closer you look at gods cretions
the more is revealed..[that ant..has living upon and on it
other life..that then has other lives on and within it

right down to the celular
and then the molectular
and even then far beyond

look again at your ammasingly soft and sensitive paw
living in its deligcate folds l;ies whole universes of living beings

your body sustains trillions of other life forms
how can anyone ever think they are alone

the truth is we are all-one
never al-one

there is a multitude of voices crying in the wilderness
of the creases of your own hand

and one living good spirit[god]
sustaines and nurtures one and all

now thats amasing
know they think your god
but you know better

or rather can chose to know better
how much more clever in her knowing is our mother[earth]
or our father sun..sending his photons..to sustain and nurture you

Poirot,

Thanks for posting the link.

Lexi,

Sorry I do not know of anything with a comparable “wow factor” that illustrates photosynthesis. However photosynthesis, like respiration, makes use of a protein complex called ATPsynthase to make molecules of ATP.

Now the remarkable think about ATPsynthase is that it works in a similar way to a pumped storage hydroelectric power station! In a pumped storage hydro power station water is pumped uphill into a dam during periods of low electricity demand. When demand rises the water is allowed to flow downhill through a turbine connected to a power generator. In that way excess capacity is utilised during off-peak periods to provide additional capacity for high demand periods.

In mitochondria and chloroplasts protons are pumped “uphill” against a gradient. Then they fall “downhill” through a membrane that causes a sort of protein turbine within the complex to rotate. This provides the energy to manufacture ATP. The ATP is then uses as fuel throughout the organism.

This video illustrates the process. It’s the closest wow factor I could find.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y1dO4nNaKY

The ATPsynthase complex is thus revelaed to be an exquisitely beautiful nano-machine.

In mitochondria the energy to pump the protons “uphill” comes from sugars manufactured during photosynthesis. In chloroplasts the high energy protons and electrons come from the splitting of water by sunlight.

The man who first figured out this amazing mechanism was Peter Mitchell. He’s not as well known as Albert Einstein but I think he should be. He changed forever our understanding of biological processes just as Einstein changed our understanding of physics.

See:

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1978/mitchell-bio.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_D._Mitchell

I think figuring out this mechanism which, remember, all takes place in a space of a few cubic micrometres, was harder than coming up with general relativity.

Dear Steven,

Thanks for your response and for the links.

For me you've opened up the door to want to
learn more.

You'd make an excellent teacher.

Nice work,

Reminds me of good old days when the mechanism of urease (from beans) was determined by painstaking enzymology. Or the painstaking radioactive TLC's used by Krebbs.

Unfortunately, the Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxidase enzyme is the rate limiting step of photosynthesis.

This work is a key step in developing a synthetic alternative and is to be applauded.

Rusty

dear rabbie meiyer

i have been chanting the incantantion/mantra

""6CO2 + 12H20 + light photons - C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2""

of the new godhead..'In praise of Vittal Yachandra'

and much like the majic incantanion of e=mc2
failed of itself to make an atomic bomb

and much like the '2 state solution'
has failed to make world peace

the majic formulation
""In praise of Vittal Yachandra
..6CO2 + 12H20 + light photons - C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2""

has failed to deliver
the god heads solution..to carbonic polution

should we add the majic words abracadavera
or ohmmmmmadehpadre..to the chant[form-ula']

the form-ulation..isnt doing it
maybe we should expand our circle
you forget the majic numbers suggestive in the words

""PBD scientists Junko Yano and Vittal Yachandra
have led..an international team or researchers""

how many other leaduing researchers are needed for the majic number for our coven...to produce fruits from rabbie vitals yacht and ra majic formulation

chanting it hasnt worked
and adding e=mc2..and the words abbba cadaver-ra
even the allmighty 2 state solution...and the name of god
all havnt succeeded

please help us oh rabbie

we can feel we are so close
maybe our coven can unite with your coven
and we can praise and eh?": raise the new godhead and his majic formulation..to his rightfull place right along side god

anyhow rabbi

how many clever top students
do we need

..plus how many..""international team's
of researchers"'..is the majic number..

that will it take
raise the vital godhead o
f yaght enchantra..onto his right full pedistal?

all the best
with your efforts rabbi

ohnnn mad eh padre..ohmmmm abbba cadavera
e=mc2..6CO2 + 12H20 + light photons - C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

AHHHmen
two state polution

presto..jehova/yaweh

piece in our time

moving forward..bingo..
bmf..rs/vip..rip

Hi Lexi and thank you for your kind words.

If you're really interested in learning more I suggest:

Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life

OR

Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution

Both by Nick Lane

I think that Nick Lane and Sean B. Carroll are the two best writers of popular biology practising their craft today. Both have that rare gift of being able to explain really complex science in simple language. I get quite envious when I read their books.

Here is a link to Nick Lane's home page:

http://www.nick-lane.net/

If you want an understanding of modern thinking about evolution I strongly reccommend:

Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo by Sean B. Carroll

http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Forms-Most-Beautiful-Science/dp/0393327795/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316653460&sr=1-1

But for starters I'd go for Nick Lane's Power, Sex and Suicide:

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Sex-Suicide-Mitochondria-Meaning/dp/0199205647/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316653619&sr=1-1

Dear Steven,

Thanks for all these
links and books. Deeply appreciated, and of course
they'll keep me busy for quite some time.

You're opening up a whole new world for me.

Thank you stevenlmeyer for a fascinating link. An important subject as well.