A photosynthetic reaction center is a complex of several proteins, biological pigments, and other co-factors that together execute the primary energy conversion reactions of photosynthesis. The reaction center is one part of a photosystem, together with the light-harvesting complex. Molecular excitations, either originating directly from sunlight or transferred as excitation energy via light-harvesting antenna systems, give rise to electron transfer reactions along the path of a series of protein-bound co-factors. These co-factors are light-absorbing molecules (also named chromophores or pigments) such as chlorophyll and pheophytin, as well as quinones. The energy of the photon is used to excite an electron of a pigment. The free energy created is then used, via a chain of nearby electron acceptors, for a transfer of hydrogen atoms (as protons and electrons) from H2O or hydrogen sulfide towards carbon dioxide, eventually producing glucose. These electron transfer steps ultimately result in the conversion of the energy of photons to chemical energy.
- ⭐ Core Definition: Photosynthetic reaction center
- Photosynthetic reaction center in the context of Light-harvesting complex
- Photosynthetic reaction center in the context of Antenna complex
Photosynthetic reaction center in the context of Light-harvesting complex
In biology, a light-harvesting complex or LHC is an aggregate consisting of proteins bound with chromophores (chlorophylls and carotenoids) that play a key role in photosynthesis. LHCs are arrayed around photosynthetic reaction centers in both plants and photosynthetic bacteria and collect more of the incoming light than would be captured by the reaction centers alone. The light captured by the chromophores excites molecules from their ground states to (short-lived) higher-energy states, known as the excited states. This energy is then focused toward the reaction centers by Förster resonance energy transfer.
Light-harvesting complexes are found in a wide variety among the different photosynthetic species, with no homology among the major groups.
View the full Wikipedia page for Light-harvesting complexPhotosynthetic reaction center in the context of Antenna complex
In biology, a light-harvesting complex, LHC, or antennae complex is an aggregate consisting of proteins bound with chromophores (chlorophylls and carotenoids) that play a key role in photosynthesis. They are one part of a photosystem, together with a reaction center. LHCs are arrayed around photosynthetic reaction centers in both plants and photosynthetic bacteria and collect more of the incoming light than would be captured by the reaction centers alone. The light captured by the chromophores excites molecules from their ground states to (short-lived) higher-energy states, known as the excited states. This energy is then focused toward the reaction centers by Förster resonance energy transfer.
Light-harvesting complexes are found in a wide variety among the different photosynthetic species, with no homology among the major groups.
View the full Wikipedia page for Antenna complex