Biomaterial Database

Photosynthetic energy conversion: natural and artificial. 2009

James Barber

Division of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK SW7 2AZ.

Photosystem II (PSII) is the water splitting enzyme of photosynthesis. Its appearance during evolution dramatically changed the chemical composition of our planet and set in motion an unprecedented explosion in biological activity. Powered by sunlight, PSII supplies biology with the 'hydrogen' needed to convert carbon dioxide into organic molecules. The questions now are can we continue to exploit this photosynthetic process through increased use of biomass as an energy source and, more importantly, can we address the energy/CO2 problem by developing new photochemical technologies which mimic the natural system? (Critical review, 82 references).

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010788	Photosynthesis	The synthesis by organisms of organic chemical compounds, especially carbohydrates, from carbon dioxide using energy obtained from light rather than from the oxidation of chemical compounds. Photosynthesis comprises two separate processes: the light reactions and the dark reactions. In higher plants; GREEN ALGAE; and CYANOBACTERIA; NADPH and ATP formed by the light reactions drive the dark reactions which result in the fixation of carbon dioxide. (from Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2001)	Calvin Cycle,Calvin-Benson Cycle,Calvin-Benson-Bassham Cycle,Carbon Fixation, Photosynthetic,Reductive Pentose Phosphate Cycle,Dark Reactions of Photosynthesis,Calvin Benson Bassham Cycle,Calvin Benson Cycle,Cycle, Calvin,Cycle, Calvin-Benson,Cycle, Calvin-Benson-Bassham,Photosynthesis Dark Reaction,Photosynthesis Dark Reactions,Photosynthetic Carbon Fixation
D003246	Conservation of Energy Resources	Planned management, use, and preservation of energy resources.	Energy Resources Conservation,Conservation, Energy Resources,Conservations, Energy Resources,Energy Resources Conservations,Resources Conservation, Energy,Resources Conservations, Energy
D004736	Energy-Generating Resources	Materials or phenomena which can provide energy directly or via conversion.	Primary Energy Resource,Primary Energy Resources,Secondary Energy Resources,Energy Generating Resources,Energy Resource, Primary,Energy Resource, Secondary,Energy Resources, Primary,Energy Resources, Secondary,Energy-Generating Resource,Resource, Energy-Generating,Resource, Primary Energy,Resource, Secondary Energy,Resources, Energy-Generating,Resources, Primary Energy,Resources, Secondary Energy,Secondary Energy Resource
D012993	Solar Energy	Energy transmitted from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation.	Solar Power,Energies, Solar,Energy, Solar,Power, Solar,Solar Energies
D014867	Water	A clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances. The chemical formula is hydrogen oxide (H2O). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Hydrogen Oxide
D017752	Greenhouse Effect	The effect of GREENHOUSE GASES and the resulting increase in world temperatures. The predicted health effects of such long-term climatic change include increased incidence of respiratory, water-borne, and vector-borne diseases.	Effect, Greenhouse
D045332	Photosystem II Protein Complex	A large multisubunit protein complex found in the THYLAKOID MEMBRANE. It uses light energy derived from LIGHT-HARVESTING PROTEIN COMPLEXES to catalyze the splitting of WATER into DIOXYGEN and of reducing equivalents of HYDROGEN.	Chloroplast Reaction Center Protein D1,D1 Photosystem II Protein, Plant,Light-Induced D1 Protein, Photosystem II,Oxygen Evolving Enzyme,PRCP II D2 Protein,Photosystem II,Photosystem II Reaction Center,Photosystem II Reaction Center Complex D1 Protein,Photosystem II Reaction Center Complex D2 Protein,RCII-D1 Protein,Water Oxidase,Water-Splitting Enzyme of Photosynthesis,Enzyme, Oxygen Evolving,Evolving Enzyme, Oxygen,Light Induced D1 Protein, Photosystem II,Oxidase, Water,Photosynthesis Water-Splitting Enzyme,Water Splitting Enzyme of Photosynthesis
D018533	Biomass	Total mass of all the organisms of a given type and/or in a given area. (From Concise Dictionary of Biology, 1990) It includes the yield of vegetative mass produced from any given crop.	Biomasses
D032701	Biomimetics	An interdisciplinary field in materials science, ENGINEERING, and BIOLOGY, studying the use of biological principles for synthesis or fabrication of BIOMIMETIC MATERIALS.	Mimetics, Biological,Bio-inspired Engineering,Biomimicry Engineering,Biomimicry Science,Bio inspired Engineering,Bio-inspired Engineerings,Biological Mimetic,Biological Mimetics,Biomimetic,Biomimicry Engineerings,Biomimicry Sciences,Engineering, Bio-inspired,Engineering, Biomimicry,Engineerings, Bio-inspired,Engineerings, Biomimicry,Mimetic, Biological,Science, Biomimicry,Sciences, Biomimicry