Photosynthesis

Soaring Crane

What is the approx. efficiency of the conversion of light energy to chemical energy in photosynthesis?

a. 100%
b. 95%
c. 15%
d. 1%

I doubt that it is 100%. Is it 15%? I did a search, and I read that the efficiency is 13% for CO2 fixation using solar radiation. I don't know if this is reasonable.

Thanks for any replies.

JamesU

I haven't been on this topic for awhile so excuse me if I'm wrong. But aren't the pigments af light energy stored using adenosine tri-phosphate?(chemical energy)

Soaring Crane

You mean, ATP? I think the light reactions (photophosphorylation) make ATP from ADP and P using solar energy.

bross7

Going by generalization there is the "Rule of 10". Where roughly each trophic level consumes/converts energy at ~10% efficiency. I think the maximum efficiency is around 20% for levels, so my assumption would be the 15% solution.

100% should be a giveaway because no metabolic process is going to be perfectly efficient.

boy genius

prabably about 15%