Photosynthesis

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.11 × C.30 · Incident radiation flux × Biologicalfamily: Biological

Typed bounds on this route

Every limit the atlas holds for this route, as constraint records: reached through bounded_by claims on the route's own entities. Hard bounds (an upper bound or a formula) decide the thermodynamic-bound check above; benchmarks, constitutive relations and resource limits are listed and never decisive. No prose limit exists anywhere (pass 42).

• Landsberg limit · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η ≤ 1 − (4/3)(T_c/T_s) + (1/3)(T_c/T_s)⁴ for conversion of blackbody radiation at T_s with a sink at T_c; 93.3 % at 6000 K / 300 K
• Photosynthetic glucose-production limit · upper-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η ≤ ≈ 12 % of incident solar energy stored as glucose free energy, for oxygenic photosynthesis from CO₂ and water under the chlorophyll band-edge and two-photosystem assumptions
• Physiology-limited photosynthetic maximum · benchmark · listed, never decisive
  ≈ 4.6 % (C3) and 6.0 % (C4) of incident solar energy after the known losses in light harvesting, overpotentials and respiration

Steps

1. 01
   Incident radiation flux —drives→ Photosynthesisestablishedclaim record

   radiative → chemical · loss to thermal

   • photosynthetically active radiation (400–700 nm), water, CO₂, temperatures roughly 0–45 °C

   aqueous medium required · illumination required · room temperature

   refs [1] [2]
2. 02
   Photosynthesis —produces→ Reduced carbon compoundsestablishedclaim record

   chemical → chemical

   refs [1] [2]
3. 03
   Reduced carbon compounds —converts into→ Chemical fuelestablishedclaim record

   chemical → chemical

   refs [1] [2]

Evidence for the complete composition · 1

1. [1]
   R. E. Blankenship, et al.. Comparing photosynthetic and photovoltaic efficiencies and recognizing the potential for improvement (2011)

   Science 332, 805–809 · doi:10.1126/science.1200165 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record

Evidence for the constituent relations · 2

1. [1]
   R. E. Blankenship, et al.. Comparing photosynthetic and photovoltaic efficiencies and recognizing the potential for improvement (2011)

   Science 332, 805–809 · doi:10.1126/science.1200165 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   R. E. Blankenship. Molecular Mechanisms of Photosynthesis (2nd ed.) (2014)

   Wiley-Blackwell · book, no DOI · record