Life · life
Photosystem II
Enzyme · Mn, Ca, O
- Numbers
- Four photons per oxygen molecule. Every oxygen atom in the atmosphere has passed through a cluster like this one.
- Kind
- Enzyme
Function
Uses the energy of four photons to strip four electrons from two water molecules, releasing O₂. The work is done by a cluster of four manganese atoms and one calcium, which cycles through five oxidation states to store up the charge before letting go.
Open on the Life shelf — the interactive card, the filters, and everything alongside it.