This course of, occurring inside the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts, represents another electron pathway throughout the light-dependent reactions. As a substitute of electrons transferring linearly from water to NADPH, they cycle from photosystem I (PSI) again to the cytochrome b6f complicated. This, in flip, contributes to the proton gradient throughout the thylakoid membrane, driving ATP synthesis by way of chemiosmosis. The first output of this pathway is ATP; importantly, no NADPH or oxygen is produced on this remoted circuit.
A vital operate is to stability the ATP to NADPH ratio inside the chloroplast. When NADPH ranges are excessive and the Calvin cycle’s demand for ATP will increase, this pathway turns into extra prevalent. This ensures ample ATP manufacturing for carbon fixation. Moreover, it might provide photoprotective advantages beneath situations of excessive mild depth, stopping photoinhibition by diverting electron move away from NADPH manufacturing. Analysis suggests its evolutionary significance might lie in its presence in early photosynthetic organisms going through completely different environmental stressors.