Photosynthesis Overview and Concept
📌 Photosynthesis is the process of producing food (glucose) through the conversion of simple compounds using sunlight and chlorophyll.
💡 The overall general reaction involves Carbon Dioxide ($\text{CO}_2$) and Water ($\text{H}_2\text{O}$) reacting in the presence of light and chlorophyll to produce Glucose ($\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$) and Oxygen ($\text{O}_2$).
🌱 $\text{CO}_2$ enters the plant through the stomata, and $\text{H}_2\text{O}$ enters through the roots.
🌊 Fun fact: 50% to 80% of the Earth's oxygen is produced by algae and phytoplankton in the ocean, not just terrestrial plants.

Location and Stages of Photosynthesis
📍 Photosynthesis occurs within the chloroplasts found in the mesophyll cells of the leaves.
🔗 Chloroplasts have two membranes, and the process is divided into two main stages: the Light-Dependent Reactions (Reaksi Terang) occurring in the thylakoid membranes, and the Light-Independent Reactions (Reaksi Gelap) (Calvin Cycle) occurring in the stroma.
⚡ The Light Reactions require water ($\text{H}_2\text{O}$) and produce oxygen ($\text{O}_2$), ATP, and $\text{NADPH}_2$.
🔄 The Light Reactions are further divided into non-cyclic (producing $\text{O}_2$, ATP, $\text{NADPH}_2$) and cyclic (producing only ATP).

Light-Dependent Reactions (Non-Cyclic Flow)
☀️ The non-cyclic flow starts at Photosystem II ($\text{P}680$, absorbing $680 \text{ nm}$ light), where electron excitation leads to electron transport.
💧 Photolysis (splitting of water, $\text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow 2\text{H}^+ + 1/2\text{O}_2 + 2\text{e}^-$) replaces electrons lost by $\text{P}680$.
🔋 As electrons pass through the electron transport chain (involving plastoquinone ($\text{PQ}$), cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin ($\text{PC}$)), $\text{H}^+$ ions are pumped into the lumen, generating ATP via ATP synthase.
🌟 Electrons then reach Photosystem I ($\text{P}700$, absorbing $700 \text{ nm}$ light), get re-excited, and are passed to ferredoxin, eventually forming $\text{NADPH}_2$ via $\text{NADP}^+$ reductase.

Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle)
🔁 The Calvin Cycle occurs in the stroma and utilizes $\text{CO}_2$, ATP, and $\text{NADPH}_2$ from the light reactions to produce carbohydrates ($\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$).
⚙️ The cycle has three phases: Carbon Fixation, Reduction, and Regeneration of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate ($\text{RuBP}$).
🌿 Carbon Fixation: $3$ molecules of $\text{CO}_2$ bind to $3$ molecules of $\text{RuBP}$ ($5\text{C}$ each), catalyzed by the enzyme Rubisco, forming $6$ molecules of unstable intermediates that immediately become $6$ molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate ($3\text{C}$ each).
✨ Reduction: $6$ molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate use $6$ ATP and $6$ $\text{NADPH}_2$ to form $6$ molecules of Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ($\text{G3P}$). One $\text{G3P}$ (containing $3$ carbons) exits the cycle to form sugar ($\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$), requiring two full Calvin cycles.
♻️ Regeneration: The remaining $5$ molecules of $\text{G3P}$ ($15\text{C}$ total) are converted back into $3$ molecules of $\text{RuBP}$ ($15\text{C}$ total), consuming an additional $3$ ATP.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The Calvin Cycle is not limited to nighttime; it does not directly require light but depends on the ATP and $\text{NADPH}_2$ supplied by the light-dependent reactions, which occur during the day.
➡️ The production of a single molecule of Glucose ($\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$) requires two full turns of the Calvin Cycle because each cycle fixes only $3$ carbons (one $\text{G3P}$ exits).
➡️ Both chloroplasts and mitochondria are present in plant cells, confirming that plants require oxygen for cellular respiration even though they produce it during photosynthesis.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 09, 2025, 10:40 UTC