What is the overall balanced reaction for the light reactions of photosynthesis? A) O₂ + 2 NADPH + 3 ATP 2 H₂O + 2 NADP⁺ + 3 ADP + 3P_i B) 3 CO₂ + 6 NADPH + 9 ATP + 6 H₂O Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate + 6 NADP⁺ + 9 ADP + 9 P_i C) O₂ + 8 photons + NADP⁺ + 3 ATP 2 H₂O + NADP⁺ + 3 ADP + 3 P_i D) 2 H₂O + 8 photons + 2 NADP⁺ + 3 ADP + 3 P_i O₂ + 2 NADPH + 3 ATP

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced reaction for the light reactions of photosynthesis is:

2 H2O + 8 photons + 2 NADP+ + 3 ADP + 3 Pi → O2 + 2 NADPH + 3 ATP

This reaction shows that 2 water molecules are split to form 1 molecule of oxygen, 2 protons, and 4 electrons. The electrons are then used to reduce NADP+ to NADPH, while the protons are released into the thylakoid lumen to create a proton gradient for ATP synthesis. The ATP is generated through the electron transport chain, which uses the energy of the proton gradient to synthesize ATP from ADP and Pi. The balanced equation for this reaction is shown in choice D.

What Is the Overall Balanced Reaction for the Light Reactions