This video is about NADP. It's a molecule that you need to know about and you encounter it frequently in the chapter on photosynthesis. So if you don't know this molecule, you'll find the whole chapter on photosynthesis very difficult.
So what exactly is this molecule? Well, its full name, and it's very important that you do know its full name, is nicotinamide adenine dinuteatide phosphate. NADP is a carrier molecule. Its role or its function is to trap electrons, high energy electrons. and protons and to transfer them to where they're needed.
For your course just link NADP with photosynthesis and know that it transfers electrons and protons to the Calvin cycle of this process otherwise referred to as the dark stage reactions of photosynthesis. So to understand what is being trapped you have to look at the hydrogen atom remember it consists of one electron and one proton and because there is always a positive with a negative, a positive proton and a negative electron hydrogen is neutral. But if you remove an electron it leaves a proton and that's why a proton is depicted as being H+.
So every time we consider NADP trapping and transferring we're actually thinking about two hydrogen atoms and the two electrons and the two protons that are associated with those two hydrogen atoms. So we have NADP our carrier molecule but in fact it's usually found as NADP+. And this molecule is going to trap electrons and protons from those two hydrogen atoms. So these are the steps. NADP plus traps one electron to become NADP.
Then NADP traps another electron, the second electron, to become NADP minus. NADP minus then traps one of those protons from the hydrogen atoms to become NADPH, this high energy molecule. And it is very important that you do know that NADPH is a high energy molecule.
It's trapping those two high energy electrons and that proton. And yes, there was that other proton that wasn't accounted for. That goes to a proton pool and it's used up later on.
So let's recap. We started with NADP plus, this low energy molecule, which trapped an electron to form NADP. NADP then trapped another electron to form NADP minus. NADP minus then trapped a proton to form NADPH. this high energy molecule.
So NADPH then transfers the electrons and the proton and basically reverts back to being NADP plus, all ready to trap and transfer some more electrons and protons. So what do you need to know? You need to know the full name of the molecule, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.
You need to state that it's a carrier molecule. Its function is to trap electrons, high energy electrons and protons, and then to transfer them to the dark stage reactions of photosynthesis. Outline the steps in converting NADP plus to NADPH.
Note that NADP plus is a low energy molecule and also that NADPH is a high energy molecule. So that was NADP, a very important molecule that gets asked a lot on the Leaving Cert exams. Remember these videos do not replace using your textbook nor do they ever replace your teacher's guidance and these videos are not intended for commercial use or made for monetary gain. So the best of luck with your exams and please note that all of the great pictures, the bus pictures and the other icons are from the Noun Project.
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