The process in photosynthesis where light energy is used to generate ATP by creating a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane. This occurs during the light-dependent reactions in chloroplasts.
From Greek 'photos' meaning light combined with 'phosphorylation' meaning the addition of phosphate groups. The term was coined in the 1950s when scientists discovered that plants use light energy to make ATP through a process similar to oxidative phosphorylation.
Photophosphorylation is like solar-powered ATP production - plants literally use sunlight to pump protons and generate their cellular energy currency! It's essentially the same chemiosmotic process as in mitochondria, but powered by photons instead of food molecules.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.