When do photosynthesis take place

Luckily, ocean plants get help in producing food from such limited light and carbon dioxide, from tiny microscopic microbes called cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae. These microbes have adapted to dim light conditions, and they carry out photosynthesis both for themselves and for the benefit of other living things.

Cyanobacteria are ancient microbes that have been living on our earth for billions of years. Cyanobacteria are said to be responsible for creating the oxygen-filled atmosphere we live in [ 1 ]. For carrying out photosynthesis in low light conditions, cyanobacteria have the help of proteins called phycobiliproteins , which are found buried in the cell membranes the outer covering of the cyanobacteria.

Phycobiliproteins play the role of assistants to Chl in aquatic water environments. Since light has a difficult time penetrating into the oceans, phycobiliproteins make this job easier by absorbing whatever light is available; they absorb the green portion of the light and turn it to red light, which is the color of light required by Chl [ 2 ]. However, changing the color of light is not as easy as it seems. The green light has to pass through different phycobiliprotein molecules, which absorb light of one color and give out light of another color.

The color that is given out is then taken up by a second phycobiliprotein, which turns it into a third color. This process continues until the emitted light is red, which can finally be taken up by Chl. For this whole process to take place, we have three different kinds of phycobiliprotein molecules arranged as a sort of a hat over the Chl molecule, as you can see in Figure 3. These three kinds of phycobiliproteins are:. The reason phycobiliproteins absorb light of different colors is that they contain chemical molecules called bilins inside them, which give them their bright colors.

These bilins are responsible for absorbing light of one color and emitting light of another color, thus causing a change in the color of light. Advanced instruments have let us analyze the arrangement of these molecules and proteins in the cyanobacteria.

We know that phycobiliproteins are shaped like disks [ 3 ], and the disks are stacked on top of each other to form the hat-like structure. This assembly joins to the core, made of APC.

This entire structure is linked to Chl, which accepts the red light emitted by APC. The arrangement of the hat-like structure has been shown in Figure 3.

The change in light color from green to red takes place through a process known as fluorescence. Let us see what fluorescence is. Imagine a transparent container filled with a pink-colored liquid that, when illuminated with a flashlight, shines a bright orange!

If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Plants are autotrophs, which means they produce their own food. They use the process of photosynthesis to transform water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide into oxygen, and simple sugars that the plant uses as fuel. These primary producers form the base of an ecosystem and fuel the next trophic levels.

Without this process, life on Earth as we know it would not be possible. We depend on plants for oxygen production and food. Learn more about this vital process with these classroom resources. Chlorophyll is a pigment that gives plants their green color, and it helps plants create their own food through photosynthesis.

What does a plant leaf have to do with the solar energy panels on the White House? Producers convert water, carbon dioxide, minerals, and sunlight into the organic molecules that are the foundation of all life on Earth.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image Green Tree Leaves The plant leaves are green because that color is the part of sunlight reflected by a pigment in the leaves called chlorophyll. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Chloroplasts contain a green substance called chlorophyll.

This absorbs the light energy needed to make photosynthesis happen. Plants and algae can only carry out photosynthesis in the light. Plants get carbon dioxide from the air through their leaves, and water from the ground through their roots.

Light energy comes from the Sun. The oxygen produced is released into the air from the leaves.