What role does NADP+ play in photosynthesis?

NADP+ plays a crucial role in photosynthesis as an electron acceptor. During the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll, which excites electrons and leads to their transport through a series of proteins known as the electron transport chain. As the excited electrons move through this chain, they lose energy, which is harnessed to pump protons into the thylakoid lumen, creating a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis.

After this process, the electrons are transferred to NADP+, reducing it to NADPH. This transformation is vital because NADPH serves as a reducing agent, carrying electrons to the next stage of photosynthesis: the Calvin cycle. In the Calvin cycle, NADPH is used to convert carbon dioxide into glucose, demonstrating the integral role that NADP+ and its reduced form, NADPH, play in the overall process of converting light energy into chemical energy in the form of carbohydrates.