Photosynthesis 3

By definition, photosynthesis is the trapping of sunlight energy and its conversion to chemical energy, followed by synthesis of sugar phosphates that become converted to sucrose, cellulose, starch and other end products. In plants, photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are formed of two membrane layers, the stroma, and the grana. The two outer membranes surround the stroma, which is the semi-fluid interior of the chloroplast. A membrane runs through the stroma and forms …

…the bundle-sheath cells where it is used in the Calvin-Benson Cycle. The last type of carbon fixation used is called CAM, or Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. In this type of carbon fixation, plants keep their stomata closed during the day, but open the stomata and fix carbon at night. The cells of these types of plants keep the intermediates in their vacuoles and use the intermediates during photosynthesis during the day when the stomata are closed.