Photosystem II Baseball Analogy (IMAGE)
Caption
In photosystem II, the water-splitting center cycles through four stable states, S0-S3. On a baseball field, S0 would be the start of the game when a batter on home base is ready to hit. S1-S3 would be players waiting on first, second, and third. The center gets bumped up to the next state every time it absorbs a photon of sunlight, just like how a player on the field advances one base every time a batter connects with a ball. When the fourth ball is hit, the player slides into home, scoring a run or, in the case of Photosystem II, releasing the oxygen we breathe.
Credit
Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Usage Restrictions
No restrictions.
License
Public Domain