Question

In 200-250 words answer: What is artificial photosynthesis and how does it work? Provide a detailed description, which includes naming the key components, their functions, and their counterparts within the chloroplast. What is biomimicry and why is artificial photosynthesis a good example? How do we currently retrieve and produce energy? List at least two problems with our current energy source and explain how artificial photosynthesis resolves these problems.

Answer 1

In artificial photosynthesis Solar power is converted in to Chemical energy. It takes liquid water and breaks it in to gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen. Chromatophores are molecules used which help in absorbing the sun light.

The organised bundle of chromatophores is called the Light Harvesting Antenna. Photosynthesizers are compounds which prevent flow back of electrons.

Splitting of water is photolysis of water occuring in the chloroplasts. Chromatophores are comparable to chlorophylls which absorb the sunlight. Photosynthesizer is comparable to electron transport chain in the chloroplasts.

Biomimicry is imitation of the processes occurring in the nature by artificial methods. Artificial photosynthesis is a biomimicry because, we are imitating the natural process occurring under artificial conditions.

Currently plants absorb sunlight and convert it in to ATP which is used in formation of sugars.

In the presence natural method of photosynthesis, the energy production is not very efficient method. It also uses CO2 which is an atmospheric pollutant. Artificla photosynthesis is more efficient and it uses substances which do not cause more cleaner substances.