CF 0-CF 1 Complex

The CF 0-CF 1 complex is the ATP synthase complex of the chloroplast that functions similarly to the F 0F 1 complex of mitochondria. It is located in the thylakoid membranes, as shown in Figure 17.15. During photosynthesis, electrons are pumped into the thylakoid lumen from the stroma, forming a proton gradient. Movement of the protons out of the thylakoid lumen through the CF 0-CF 1 complex back to the stroma provides the driving force for photophosphorylation, the process of making ATP in photosynthesis. A similar mechanism is responsible for ATP synthesis in oxidative phosphorylation.

See also: Chloroplast Anatomy, Photosystem Summary