Energy and charge transfer in photosynthesis

Abstract

Photosynthesis is the most important biological energy conversion process on earth, and no higher forms of life would be possible without the oxygen-containing atmosphere produced by the oxygenic photosynthesis of plants or algae, and more and more endangered by technical consumption of oxygen and combustion to CO₂. Only primitive forms of life, some anaerobic and sulfur bacterial families, would be able to exist, and even some of these successfully perform simple forms of nonoxygenic photosynthesis, i.e. they utilize solar energy without producing oxygen.