NEETBotanyPhotosynthesis in Higher Plants
The ATP and NADPH synthesized during the light reaction of photosynthesis are immediately utilized in which of the following cellular locations?
Options
- ACytoplasm
- BThylakoid lumen
- CStroma of the chloroplast
- DMitochondrial matrix
Correct answer
C. Stroma of the chloroplast
Step-by-step solution
The light reaction of photosynthesis produces ATP, NADPH, and O ₂ in the thylakoids. While O ₂ diffuses out of the chloroplast as a waste product, ATP and NADPH do not leave the organelle. Instead, they are immediately consumed in the stroma of the chloroplast to drive the biosynthetic phase (dark reaction), which involves the reduction of CO ₂ into sugars. They are not transported to the cytoplasm or mitochondrial matrix for general cellular use, and the thylakoid lumen is the site of proton accumulation rather th