Differentiate Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation: Definitions, Similarities and Key Differences

Difference Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation Overview

Photosynthesis is the process through which light energy is converted into chemical energy. The acquired solar energy is used to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. The photosynthetic process is divided into two parts: the light reaction and the dark reaction. Photophosphorylation is the insertion of a phosphate group during the light reaction of photosynthesis in the presence of light.

What is Photophosphorylation?

Otto Kandler discovered photophosphorylation in vivo for the first time in 1950, using whole Chlorella cells, and interpreted his findings as light-dependent ATP generation. In 1954, Daniel I. Arnon used P32 to identify photophosphorylation in isolated chloroplasts in vitro. He published his first overview of early photophosphorylation experiments in 1956. Photophosphorylation is the conversion of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using light energy from photosynthesis (ATP). It is the mechanism by which energy-rich ATP molecules are generated in the presence of sunlight by transferring the phosphate group to the ADP molecule.

Photophosphorylation is of 2 Different Types, which are as follows-

1. Cyclic Photophosphorylation
2. Noncyclic Photophosphorylation

Difference Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation Definitions

The following table gives definitions related to the difference between cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation-

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Differentiate Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation

The following table gives the difference between cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation-

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Difference Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation Similarities

The following are some of the similarities between cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation-

1. The light-dependent photosynthetic process includes both cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation.
2. Cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation mechanisms are components of ETS that perform phosphorylation (phosphate group addition) or ATP production.

Key Differences Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation 

The following are the distinctions between cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation-

1. Cyclic photophosphorylation occurs solely in photosystem I, whereas noncyclic photophosphorylation occurs in both photosystems I and II.
2. Only ATP is created during cyclic photophosphorylation, but both NADPH and ATP are produced during non-cyclic photophosphorylation.
3. Electrons are evacuated by photosystem I and returned to the system during cyclic photophosphorylation. Non-cyclic photophosphorylation, on the other hand, does not return the electrons released by the photosystems.
4. Water photolysis occurs in non-cyclic photophosphorylation but not in cyclic photophosphorylation.
5. Oxygen is not released during cyclic photophosphorylation, but it is released during non-cyclic photophosphorylation.
6. Although water is not used during cyclic photophosphorylation, it is consumed during non-cyclic photophosphorylation.

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Sample Questions on Differentiate Between Cyclic and Noncylic Photophosphorylation

Sample Question 1: Define the term "photophosphorylation."

Photophosphorylation is the insertion of a phosphate group during the light reaction of photosynthesis in the presence of light. Photophosphorylation is phosphorylation that takes place in the presence of light.

Sample Question 2: What are the two different forms of photophosphorylation?

Ans: Photophosphorylation is classified into two types: cyclic photophosphorylation and non-cyclic photophosphorylation.

Sample Question 3: Describe the non-cyclic photophosphorylation mechanism.

When electrons are liberated from the excited photo center and do not return, the process of non-cyclic photophosphorylation occurs. Only when both photosystems I and II are involved does this process occur. Water photolysis results in the release of electrons. As a result, a consistent supply of water is necessary for this operation. During this process, both NADPH and ATP are produced.

Sample Question 4: Which of the following scenarios is optimal for cyclic photophosphorylation?

The cyclic photophosphorylation approach is only suitable for bacteria.

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Things to Remember

1. The two processes of photosynthesis are the light reaction and the dark reaction. The dark response occurs in the absence of light, whereas the light reaction occurs in the presence of light.
2. The photosynthetic light reaction occurs in the grana's chloroplast.
3. In the photosynthetic light process, light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.
4. In the dark reaction of photosynthesis, the energy provided by the light reaction is used to transform carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. This occurs within the chloroplast stroma.
5. Photophosphorylation is the insertion of a phosphate group during the light reaction of photosynthesis in the presence of light.
6. Photophosphorylation is phosphorylation that takes place in the presence of light.
7. Electrons in cyclic photophosphorylation move in a cyclic pattern, whereas electrons in non-cyclic photophosphorylation do not travel in a cyclic pattern.