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Photoautotrophs are organisms that can utilize light energy from sunlight and elements (such as carbon) from inorganic compounds to produce organic materials needed to sustain their own metabolism (i.e. autotrophy). Such biological activities are known as photosynthesis, and examples of such organisms include plants, algae and cyanobacteria.
Photosynthesis (/ ˌ f oʊ t ə ˈ s ɪ n θ ə s ɪ s / FOH-tə-SINTH-ə-sis) [1] is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabolism.
Cyanobacteria, which are prokaryotic organisms which carry out oxygenic photosynthesis, occupy many environmental conditions, including fresh water, seas, soil, and lichen. Cyanobacteria carry out plant-like photosynthesis because the organelle in plants that carries out photosynthesis is derived from an [4] endosymbiotic cyanobacterium. [5]
Cyanobacteria are globally widespread photosynthetic prokaryotes and are major contributors to global biogeochemical cycles. [26] They are the only oxygenic photosynthetic prokaryotes, and prosper in diverse and extreme habitats. [27] They are among the oldest organisms on Earth with fossil records dating back at least 2.1 billion years. [28]
One such example of photosymbiosis is in ascidians, the sea squirts. In the genus Didemnidae, 30 species establish symbiotic relationships. [53] The photosynthetic ascidians are associated with cyanobacteria in the genus of Prochloron as well as, in some cases, the species Synechocystis trididemni. [54]
Purple bacteria or purple photosynthetic bacteria are Gram-negative proteobacteria that are phototrophic, capable of producing their own food via photosynthesis. [1] They are pigmented with bacteriochlorophyll a or b , together with various carotenoids , which give them colours ranging between purple, red, brown, and orange.
Maize (Zea mays, Poaceae) is the most widely cultivated C 4 plant.[1]In botany, C 4 carbon fixation is one of three known methods of photosynthesis used by plants. C 4 plants increase their photosynthetic efficiency by reducing or suppressing photorespiration, which mainly occurs under low atmospheric CO 2 concentration, high light, high temperature, drought, and salinity.
Photosynthetic organisms with plastids of different origin (such as brown algae) do not belong to the Archaeplastida. The archaeplastidans fall into two main evolutionary lines. The red algae are pigmented with chlorophyll a and phycobiliproteins, like most cyanobacteria, and accumulate starch outside the chloroplasts.