Our Biosphere contains all biotic and abiotic factors, and talking about abiotic. They depend entirely on biotic (or living) factors for survival.
Photosystem I vs. Photosystem II
Photosystem I absorbs sunlight at about 700nm, while Photosystem II absorbs sunlight at a wavelength of 680nm in the red region. Also, Photosystem I is present in both the granum and stroma thylakoid, while Photosystem II is present only in the granum thylakoid.
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Photosystem I is also written as P700. Its primary function is to form a molecule of NADPH. The immediate electron acceptor of Photosystem I is Plastocyanin.
The primary function of the Photosystem is to perform hydrolysis of water along with ATP synthesis. The immediate electron acceptor of the same is Plastoquinone, and the three primary electron acceptors of Photosystem II are – Unknown Q, Plastoquinone, and Cytochrome b559.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Photosystem I | Photosystem II |
|---|---|---|
| Present In | Photosystem is present in the granum and stroma thylakoid. | Photosystem II is present in the granum thylakoid only. |
| Wavelength Absorb | It absorbs a wavelength of about 700nm. | It absorbs a wavelength of about 680nm. |
| Number of Electron Carriers | It has six total electron carriers. | It has three electron carriers in total. |
| Electron Acceptor | Plastocyanin | Plastoquinone |
| Formation of NADPH | The end product is NADPH. | There is no formation of NADPH. |
| Reaction Centre | P700 nm | P680 nm |
| Photolysis of Water | Photosystem I is not used in the photolysis of water. | Photosystem II is used in photolysis. |
| Content of Chlorophyll | The content of chlorophyll a is more compared to the chlorophyll b content. | The content of chlorophyll b is more than chlorophyll a. |
What is Photosystem I?
Photosystem I is present in the granum thylakoid and stroma thylakoid of green plants and algae. Photosystem I contain two components – Photosynthetic Unit and Electron Carrier.
Photosystem I comprises two protein-rich subunits, which are – psaA and psaB. It absorbs a wavelength of about 700nm.
The function played by the Photosystem is that it helps in the formation of NADPH and ATP in the light reaction.
What is Photosystem II?
Photosystem II is present in granum thylakoid only in green plants and algae. It also contains two components, Photosystem I: Photosynthetic Unit and Electron Carrier.
The reaction center consists of chlorophyll, a molecule that absorbs the wavelength of 680nm, while the light-harvesting complex has 200 molecules of chlorophyll a and b.
The core composition of the photosystem is said to be made up of two subunits named D1 and D2. It is a membrane-embedded protein complex with 20 subunits and more than 50 cofactors.
The primary role performed by Photosystem II is that it helps in the hydrolysis of water and ATP synthesis in the mitochondria.
Main Differences Between Photosystem I and Photosystem II
- The location of the presence of Photosystem I is that it is present in the stroma and granum thylakoid, while Photosystem II is present only in the granum thylakoid.
- The wavelength at which Photosystem I is 700nm, while at which Photosystem II is 680nm.
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1992.tb01328.x
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.201303671
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1751-1097.1987.tb08413.x
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1991.tb05101.x
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
