Explain, with the aid of diagrams and electron micrographs, how the structure of chloroplasts enables them to carry

out their functions.

Define the term photosynthetic pigment.

Explain the importance of photosynthetic pigments in photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll absorbs light energy from photons within blue coloured area. Yellow area holds chlorophyll molecule in thylakoid membrane

Photosynthetic pigments: Molecules which absorb light energy Each pigment absorbs a range of wavelengths Each has a peak absorption wavelength Other wavelengths are reflected

How would you determine the wavelength(s) absorbed by a particular pigment?

Light is a form of energy; visible light occurs in different colours, or wavelengths that vary in their energy levels

How would you determine the effectiveness of the light absorbed by a particular pigment for photosynthesis?

In photosynthesis, light energy is absorbed, then passed on to another molecule; eventually this energy is stored in glucose

NB this energy is initially stored in the form of a free electron- an electron that escapes from the chlorophyll

Excitation of pigments by light

Electrons in pigments absorb light energy and are raised to an excited state Excited state is unstable and electrons return to their ground state (low energy level) Each lost electron is accepted by another molecule, the electron acceptor
CHLOROPHYLL Reduced form CHLOROPHYLL + ELECTRON Oxidised form Excited state
+

Electron acceptors
Thus chlorophyll is oxidised and the electron acceptor is reduced. The chlorophyll is thus an electron donor. The photosynthetic pigments are of two types, primary pigments and accessory pigments. The accessory pigments pass the emitted electrons to the primary pigments. Electrons are then emitted from the primary pigments and it is these that drive the photosynthetic process. The two primary pigments are both forms of chlorophyll a, called P680 and P700 (absorbing light best at 680 and 700 nm wavelengths, respectively). The accessory pigments include other forms of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids.

P680

PIGMENT Chlorophyll a P680

FEATURES

Yellow-green Found in Photosystem II Peak absorption at 680 nm (red) Also absorbs some blue light. 450 nm Reflect 530 570 nm
Yellow-green Found in Photosystem I Peak absorption at 700 nm (red) Also absorbs some blue light. 450 nm Reflect 530 570 nm Blue-green Found in both photosystems, as an accessory pigment Absorbs light 500 nm and 640 nm Reflect 530 570 nm Yellow- xanthophyll Orange- beta carotene No porphyrin group Absorb blue-green light (500 530 nm) which is not well absorbed by the chlorophylls and pass it to chlorophyll a Reflect 550 - 600nm (yellow/orange) May protect chlorophylls from damage by light and oxygen

Chlorophyll a

P700

Chlorophyll b

Carotenoids