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Related Concept Videos

The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis01:34

The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis

The light reactions of photosynthesis assume a linear flow of electrons from water to NADP+. During this process, light energy drives the splitting of water molecules to produce oxygen. However, oxidation of water molecules is a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction and requires a strong oxidizing agent. This is accomplished by the first product of light reactions: oxidized P680 (or P680+), the most powerful oxidizing agent known in biology. The oxidized P680 that acquires an electron from the...
Photosystem II01:22

Photosystem II

The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across  two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

Although structurally similar to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI) is has a different electron supplier and electron acceptor.
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...
Photosystems01:32

Photosystems

Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in the membrane of tiny sac-like structures called thylakoids placed inside the chloroplast.
Functioning of Photosystems
Photosystems contain many pigment molecules, such as chlorophylls and carotenoids, arranged in a particular organization across two domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
The Antenna Complex01:15

The Antenna Complex

Plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprise pigments capable of absorption of direct sunlight. These pigments are present in the reaction center - the main site of photochemical reactions as well as in the antenna complex. Under average light conditions, the rate at which reaction center pigments absorb light is far below the electron transport chain's capacity. As a result, the reaction center alone cannot provide enough energy to drive photosynthesis. The photosynthetic efficiency can...
The Photochemical Reaction Center01:29

The Photochemical Reaction Center

Reaction centers are pigment-protein complexes that initiate energy conversion from photons to chemical entities. Therefore, photochemical reaction center is a more appropriate term that describes these complexes. The Nobel laureates Robert Emerson and William Arnold provided the first experimental evidence of photochemical reaction centers by demonstrating the participation of nearly 2,500 chlorophyll molecules for the release of just one molecule of oxygen. Despite thousands of photosynthetic...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Separation of Spinach Thylakoid Protein Complexes by Native Green Gel Electrophoresis and Band Characterization using Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting
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Published on: February 14, 2019

Multipartite quantum entanglement evolution in photosynthetic complexes.

Jing Zhu1, Sabre Kais, Alán Aspuru-Guzik

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|August 28, 2012
PubMed
Summary

We studied quantum entanglement in the Fenna-Matthew-Olson (FMO) complex using advanced simulations. Our findings show entanglement is key along energy transfer pathways, revealing simple multipartite entanglement structures.

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Last Updated: May 19, 2026

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Published on: March 13, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Biology
  • Chemical Physics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • The Fenna-Matthew-Olson (FMO) complex is crucial for light-harvesting in bacteria.
  • Understanding quantum effects like entanglement is vital for explaining FMO's efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamics and role of quantum entanglement in the FMO complex.
  • To characterize multipartite entanglement structure within the FMO complex.

Main Methods:

  • Simulations using the scaled hierarchical equations of motion (HME) approach.
  • Direct computation of the convex roof to quantify entanglement.
  • Utilizing monogamy relations to establish entanglement bounds.

Main Results:

  • Entanglement is maximized along the two primary electronic energy transfer pathways in the FMO complex.
  • The multipartite entanglement structure within the FMO complex is surprisingly simple.
  • Monogamy relations provide lower bounds, while convex roof evaluations yield upper bounds for entanglement.

Conclusions:

  • Quantum entanglement plays a significant role in efficient energy transfer within the FMO complex.
  • The observed simplicity of multipartite entanglement suggests underlying structural constraints.
  • Further research can explore these constraints on mixed-state entanglement.