Having trouble understanding reduction of NADP+

[1MileCrash]

"Photosystem I transfers electrons to NADP+, reducing it to NADPH."

This is mentioned many times in my textbook, in other examples besides photosynthesis. NADP+ reduced into NADPH.

I agree that receiving an electron is a reduction. But how does receiving electrons turn NADP+ to NADPH? That looks to me like it received a proton judging by chemical makeup..but how can NADP+ with a positive charge accept a H+ ion and then be neutral?

So its receiving electrons and being reduced, so how does that equal NADPH?

It's just not making much sense to me, and I'm not the "accept it and keep reading" type, I want to understand everything.

EDIT: So I did some thinking...

I totally get that NADP+ receiving an electron results in a neutrally charged molecule. I also was previously under the misconception that NADPH contained "one more hydrogen" than NADP+, which I'm starting to get simply isn't the case. NADP+ and NADPH have the same number of protons, but NADPH has one more electron. And this results in us naming it with another H? The addition of an electron? Is this a common practice in chemistry?

 

[epenguin]

I agree that receiving an electron is a reduction. But how does receiving electrons turn NADP+ to NADPH? That looks to me like it received a proton judging by chemical makeup..but how can NADP+ with a positive charge accept a H+ ion and then be neutral?

It does not accept H⁺ - formally speaking you can think of it as accepting an H^-. In other paragraphs you seem to half know that.

What it sounds like is happening is you are reading more advanced chapters and have forgotten earlier ones. Students often make mistake of not looking back at more elementary chapters or books because they fear a feeling of slipping back! At least I know I did. Instead it is quite strengthening to do that when necessary.

The textbooks assume you already know - and you can understand they do not want to draw out the formulae for NADP⁺, NADPH every time they are involved in a reaction, which is very often. They do the same for quite a number of compounds, nucleotides, flavins, thiols/disulphides, folates,... you may have noticed.

So don't stay stuck with the acronyms, but look back to the formulae! You might have to revise what is a quaternary ammonium compound too, and look up pyridine and N-pyridyl.

 

[mishrashubham]

I highly recommend looking at this.
http://www.johnkyrk.com/photosynthesis.html

PS: Click on the small orange arrow on the bottom left to go ahead in the link. Animation's always better than plain old text.