Question

During the light reaction of photosynthesis, only the electrons of chlorophyll absorb energy and not the protons and neutrons. Which fact regarding subatomic particles provides the basis for this statement?

Answer 1

Answer: Electrons are found in orbitals and can change orbitals as they absorb more energy.

Explanation:

Photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae and certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight and turn it into chemical energy. This energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars.

The light-dependent reaction is a part of photosynthesis and it uses light energy to make two molecules needed for the next stage of photosynthesis. These are ATP which is the energy storage molecule and NADPH, a reduced electron carrier. In plants, the light reactions take place in the thylakoid membranes of organelles called chloroplasts. These organelles conduct photosynthesis because they have the pigment chlorophyll which captures the energy from the sunlight.

Molecules in the thylakoid membrane use energized electrons to pump hydrogen ions into the thylakoid space. ATP synthase is a protein complex that harnesses the concentration gradient of these ions to generate ATP.

So, electrons are needed to absorb energy because they are found in orbitals around the nucleus and they can change orbitals as they absorb more energy. Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus so they are not able to do this.