For decades, researchers have wondered how much light our plants really need, and now they finally have the answer.
Researchers around the world have spent hundreds of hours of theoretical and experimental work trying to understand what happens after a photon is absorbed. But until now, no scientist has tried to learn more about the first step that triggers photosynthesis.
In a new study, scientists from the University of Berkeley focused on figuring out how much light is actually needed to initiate photosynthesis. According to the study’s co-author Graham Fleming, he and his colleagues found that only one photon is required to start the process of converting energy into chemical energy by plants and other organisms.
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The study’s authors believe this breakthrough strengthens our understanding of vital biological processes and reveals the exciting intersection of quantum physics and biology. During the study, the scientists focused on the study of photosynthetic purple bacteria, where they were able to show that just one photon is really enough to initiate photosynthesis.
The scientists note that this discovery is extremely important because, in fact, all photosynthetic organisms use similar processes and share a common ancestor. Thus, scientists believe the results could shed light on photosynthesis in plants and algae.
Note that scientists previously assumed that one photon was enough to initiate photosynthesis due to the high efficiency of converting sunlight into energy-rich molecules. For example, on a sunny day, only about a thousand photons per second reach a chlorophyll molecule, but the process of photosynthesis occurs reliably all over the world.
However, this assumption has not yet been experimentally confirmed. Moreover, previous photosynthesis studies have used high-power laser pulses to launch photosynthetic molecules that differ significantly from sunlight in their quantum properties and density.
To fill this gap, scientists have developed a unique experiment that bridges quantum physics and biology. During the experiment, they placed a photon source that creates a pair. The first photon, called the “messenger,” was detected by a highly sensitive detector to confirm that the second photon, directed at a sample of light-absorbing molecular structures derived from photosynthetic bacteria, will arrive soon.
The scientists also used a second photon detector placed near the samples and measuring the low-energy photon emitted by the structure after absorbing the second photon. In fact, the detection of this photon indicated the activation of the photosynthesis process.
Previously Focus He wrote that scientists have found that photosynthesis is not working as expected.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.