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Photosynthesis, Oxygenic

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Oxygenic photosynthesis is a noncyclic photosynthetic electron chain where the initial electron donor is water and, as a consequence, molecular oxygen is liberated as a by-product. The use of water as an electron donor requires a photosynthetic apparatus with two reaction centers. It is present in cyanobacteria and its evolutionary related eukaryotic organelles, the chloroplast. Oxygenic photosynthesis was responsible for the transformation of the Earth’s primitive anoxygenic atmosphere to one with molecular oxygen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, APDO. 22085, 46071, València, Spain

    Juli Peretó

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  1. Juli Peretó
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Correspondence to Juli Peretó .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Peretó, J. (2014). Photosynthesis, Oxygenic. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1721-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1721-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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