Subject: NEED INFO ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS

From: [email-masked] (Jason Bunstone)
Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 13:31:59 -0700

To whom it may concern

   My name is Jason Bunstone and I need some information.  My question is
which color light will cause a greater photosynthesis rate?  I also need
the taxinomical rank of the Portulaca plant I have looked and have not
found it any where.  My address is jbunstonsisnet.sisku.k12.ca.us

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From: [email-masked] (bad ass Mtn. biker)
Date: 10 May 1996 15:15:10 GMT

> found it any where.  My address is jbunstonsisnet.sisku.k12.ca.us

Dear Mr. Bunstone

The color of photosynthesis is hot pink with orange pocadots.  I hope this
helps.

-Mr. Rogers

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 10 May 96 18:23:16 +0200

> found it any where.  My address is jbunstonsisnet.sisku.k12.ca.us

It's very easy guy, it's an experiment wich is done at school. The color of 
the chlorophyle is green, so those are the colors wich are not fixed by the
photosystems. So The better light for the photosynthesis is the red....

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From: grantw <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 May 1996 02:38:53 GMT

First of all, not all plants photosynthesize the same way. For 
example, plants from the cacti family use different chlorophyll 
molecules than do plants from the monocot or dicot families. 
But to answer your question quickly, generally the rate of 
photosynthesis is greatest at 680-700nm (wavelength) which is 
red light. 

Red light is what causes plant seeds to germinate. Most plants need 
a shot of red light then a period of darkness in order for the seeds
to germinate. 

For your other question,on the Portulaca plant,I'll have to get back
to you on that. 

Pat G.  B.Sc. Botanist

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From: [email-masked] (Sklarma)
Date: 14 May 1996 07:53:10 -0400

Dear Jason,

          Photosynthesis is the method plants use to gather and store
energy from the sun.  All energy enters our planet this way.  If you add
carbon dioxide, water, and light energy, you get carbohydrate(sugar) and
oxygen.  This is what a plant does during photosynthesis.  The best light
color for photosynthesis is red, but violet can actually work also. 
Basically, light is absorbed by a pigment, like chlorophyll, and then it
is run down a photosystem, (a way the plant changes light to energy), and
then the plant can use the energy to grow, move, or bear fruit.  An
important byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen, which you and I need to
breathe.  If it weren't for photosynthesis, life on Earth wouldn't exist.

                                                             Hope this
helps,

                                                                    Marc

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From: [email-masked] (Sklarma)
Date: 14 May 1996 08:00:07 -0400

Jason, 

          I almost forgot.

            Portulaca is a family name for a type of plant in the order
Chenopodiales (Centrospermae).  The unique thing about this order is that
they use a special pigment called betacyanins for photosynthesis.

                                                    That's all I know,

                                                              Marc

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan B. Marder)
Date: Wed, 15 May 96 07:23:25 GMT

For accurate information, the library is much more reliable than
usenet! Let me clarify some of Pat G.'s comments which I believe 
misleading.

In article <[email-masked]>,
>molecules than do plants from the monocot or dicot families. 
As far as I know, ALL higher plants, including monocots and dicots 
(cacti are included here) photosynthesize in the same way - at least as 
far as the light reactions are concerned. This means that they all use 
chlorophylls A and B in the same way. This is also true for many lower 
plants, including all the green algae.

>photosynthesis is greatest at 680-700nm (wavelength) which is 
Photosynthesis is driven by light absorbed by chlorophylls and accessory 
pigmnents (generally carotenoids). ANY wavelength absorbed from 
~400-700nm is equally good. However, chlorophyll has peak 
absorbance in the blue and red regions of the spectrum, with poorer 
absorbance in between (in the green). Thus green light has less chance 
of being absorbed.

>a shot of red light then a period of darkness in order for the seeds
This is a "phytochrome" response and nothing to do with photosynthesis.

Jonathan B. Marder             ,      Department of Agricultural Botany
E-mail: [email-masked] |      The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Phone: (08 or +9728) 9481918   | /\/  Faculty of Agriculture
Fax:   (08 or +9728) 9467763   |/  \  P.O.Box 12, Rehovot 76100, ISRAEL
     http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/~marder