tilakoidilumeniin

Tilakoidilumeniin is the internal space enclosed by the thylakoid membrane within chloroplasts. This compartment plays a crucial role in photosynthesis. During the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, protons are pumped from the stroma into the thylakoid lumen. This process, driven by the electron transport chain embedded in the thylakoid membrane, establishes a proton gradient across the membrane. The concentration of protons becomes significantly higher within the lumen than in the surrounding stroma. This electrochemical potential energy stored in the proton gradient is then utilized by ATP synthase, an enzyme also embedded in the thylakoid membrane, to produce ATP. The lumen also accumulates the products of water splitting, such as oxygen and protons. Therefore, the thylakoid lumen serves as a reservoir for protons and a site for early photochemical events, directly contributing to the energy conversion process that sustains life on Earth.