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Related Concept Videos

Origin of Photosynthesis01:26

Origin of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis represents a fundamental biological process that transformed Earth's atmosphere and paved the way for complex life. Emerging roughly 3.4–3.8 billion years ago, the earliest photosynthetic organisms harnessed light energy to produce organic compounds. These anoxygenic phototrophs used electron donors like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) or ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), rather than water, and did not release molecular oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct. Various groups, including green sulfur and purple...
Oxygenic Photosynthesis01:26

Oxygenic Photosynthesis

Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental process in which light energy is harnessed to drive the oxidation of water, leading to the production of molecular oxygen (O₂), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This process is essential for sustaining aerobic life on Earth and is primarily carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The core of oxygenic photosynthesis lies in the thylakoid membranes, where chlorophyll pigments facilitate light...
Anoxygenic Photosynthesis01:30

Anoxygenic Photosynthesis

Anoxygenic photosynthesis is a phototrophic process that captures light energy to drive carbon fixation without producing molecular oxygen. Unlike oxygenic photosynthesis, which utilizes water as an electron donor and releases oxygen, anoxygenic phototrophs use alternative electron donors such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), elemental sulfur (S⁰), or thiosulfate (S₂O₃²⁻). This process is carried out by diverse groups of bacteria, including purple bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, heliobacteria, and...
The Anatomy of Chloroplasts01:08

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor specialized organelles called chloroplasts to carry out photosynthesis. They coordinate both stages of photosynthesis — the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions use sunlight to release oxygen and produce chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions capture CO2 and use ATP and NADPH to produce sugar.
Structure of Chloroplasts
A...
The Colonization of Land02:22

The Colonization of Land

Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
09:45

Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria

Published on: July 24, 2016

When did oxygenic photosynthesis evolve?

Roger Buick1

  • 1Department of Earth and Space Science and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1310, USA. buick@ess.washington.edu <buick@ess.washington.edu>

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|May 13, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Oxygenic photosynthesis, the process producing oxygen, likely began much earlier than previously thought. Evidence suggests its origins predate the Great Oxidation Event, pushing back the timeline for this critical biological innovation.

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Operation of Laboratory Photobioreactors with Online Growth Measurements and Customizable Light Regimes
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Operation of Laboratory Photobioreactors with Online Growth Measurements and Customizable Light Regimes

Published on: October 28, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
09:45

Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria

Published on: July 24, 2016

Operation of Laboratory Photobioreactors with Online Growth Measurements and Customizable Light Regimes
05:21

Operation of Laboratory Photobioreactors with Online Growth Measurements and Customizable Light Regimes

Published on: October 28, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Geochemistry
  • Paleobiology
  • Geology

Background:

  • The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) around 2.4 billion years ago marked a significant rise in atmospheric oxygen.
  • The precise timing of the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, the biological process responsible for oxygen production, remains debated.
  • Geological and geochemical evidence from ancient sedimentary rocks offers clues to the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the early evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis.
  • To determine if oxygenic photosynthesis predates the Great Oxidation Event.
  • To synthesize diverse geological and geochemical data to support or refute early origins of oxygenic photosynthesis.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of fluid-inclusion oils in ancient sandstones for hydrocarbon biomarkers.
  • Examination of molybdenum (Mo) and rhenium (Re) abundances in ancient shales.
  • Study of sulfur isotope systematics in kerogen.
  • Investigation of stromatolites and biomarkers in ancient lake sediments.
  • Radiometric dating (U-Pb) of ancient metasediments.

Main Results:

  • Hydrocarbon biomarkers from ca. 2.45 Ga sandstones indicate organisms producing and requiring molecular oxygen.
  • Mo and Re abundances and sulfur isotopes in ca. 2.5 Ga shales suggest a transient pulse of atmospheric oxygen.
  • Stromatolites and biomarkers from ca. 2.7 Ga sediments imply the prior evolution of oxygen-producing cyanobacteria.
  • Kerogenous shales from ca. 3.2 Ga are consistent with aerobic photoautotrophic marine plankton.
  • U-Pb data from ca. 3.8 Ga metasediments suggest the potential origin of this metabolism at the beginning of the geological record.

Conclusions:

  • Geological and geochemical evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that oxygenic photosynthesis evolved well before the atmosphere became permanently oxygenated.
  • The origins of oxygenic photosynthesis can be traced back to at least 3.8 billion years ago, near the start of Earth's geological record.
  • Ancient biomarkers, sedimentary rock chemistry, and fossil evidence collectively point to an early emergence of oxygen-producing life.