Photosynthesis

7-1

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Light Energy Harvested

by Plants & Other
Photosynthetic
Autotrophs

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Photosynthesis and Life

During

photosynthesis

Organisms use the energy of light to build

high-energy organic molecules.
Plants, algae and some bacteria can do
this.
Can

make their own food using light

Called photosynthetic autotrophs

99.9%

of all life on earth relies on

photosynthesis for their energy.

7-3

Heterotrophs eat autotrophs.

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An Overview of
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis

occurs in

Chloroplasts
Contain

During

7-4

the pigment that captures the energy in light

Chlorophyll
Found in membranous sacs called thylakoids
A stack of thylakoid is called a granum (pl. grana).
Grana are suspended in a fluid-filled space called
the stroma.

photosynthesis

The energy in light is used to make ATP.

The energy in ATP is used to make organic
molecules such as glucose.
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Photosynthesis,
Chloroplasts, and the
Structure of a Leaf

7-5

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An Overview of
Photosynthesis
The

chemical equation of photosynthesis:

Light energy + carbon dioxide + water glucose and oxygen

The

three events of photosynthesis

Light-capturing

events

The pigment chlorophyll absorbs certain wavelengths of

light and some of its electrons become excited.

Light-dependent

reactions

These reactions use the energy in the excited electrons to

make ATP and NADPH.

Light-independent

7-6

reactions

ATP and NADPH from the light reactions is used to reduce

carbon dioxide to make glucose.

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An Overview of
Photosynthesis

7-7

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Light-capturing Events:
Fundamental Concepts

Visible light

Pigments are molecules that absorb light.

Each pigment absorbs certain wavelengths of light.

The wavelengths that they do not absorb, they reflect.
This is the color we see.
In photosynthesis, only the wavelengths that are absorbed can be
used to do work.

Chlorophyll: The main photosynthetic pigment

7-8

Combinations of different wavelengths of light

Can be seen as different colors

Two forms; a and b

Absorb light in the blue and red portions of the spectrum
ReflectCopyright
green
wavelengths
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Other Types of Pigments

Accessory pigments

Chlorophyll + accessory pigments

Organized into photosystems that harvest the energy from

many wavelengths of light
Found in thylakoids of the chloroplasts

When pigments absorb light

7-9

Include carotenoids
Absorb blue and green wavelengths
Reflect orange and yellow
Found in leaves, masked by chlorophyll
In the autumn, when chlorophyll disintegrates,
accessory pigments show through (fall colors).

Some of their electrons become excited

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Different pigments absorb

light differently

Photosynthesis:
Fundamental Description

7-11

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Light-capturing Events:
The Details
Light

Packaged as photons
Each photon has a distinct wavelength.
The energy in a photon is related to its
wavelength.
When a photon hits a pigment molecule, electrons
are excited.
This

means that the electrons jump up to a higher

energy level.

7-12

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Light-capturing Events:
The Details Continued

Photosystems
Structures in which the light-capturing events take
place
Found in the thylakoid membranes
Made up of antenna complexes and a reaction center
Networks

of chlorophyll and accessory pigments

Capture the energy in many different wavelengths of
light and pass it to the reaction center

7-13

The reaction center is a special chlorophyll molecule that

passes its excited electrons to an electron acceptor.

There are two photosystems, I and II.

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Light Dependent Reactions:

The Details

Photosystem II (PSII)

Occurs first
Donates its excited electrons to the electron transport chain
Splits water to replace the electrons it donated

Photosystem I (PSI)

Occurs second
Donates its excited electrons to NADP+ to form NADPH

7-14

O2 is released.

NADPH released into the stroma

Accepts electrons from the electron transport chain to

replace the electrons it donated

PS I and II are in the thlyakoid membrane.

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The Electron Transport Chain

and ATP Synthesis
Between

PSII and PSI

Electrons are passed through an electron

transport chain (ETC).
This

releases energy.
This energy is used to pump protons from the stroma
into the thylakoid space.
This creates a proton concentration gradient.
Protons diffuse through ATP synthase.
ATP synthase makes ATP that is released into the
stroma.
7-15

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PS II and I: How They

Interact

7-16

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How the Light Reactions Generate ATP

and NADPH
Primary
electron
acceptor

Energy
to make

Primary
electron
acceptor

NADP

2
Light
E le

Light

ct r

on
t

r an

sp
o rt

ch

ain

Primary
electron
acceptor

Reactioncenter
chlorophyll

Water-splitting
photosystem
2 H + 1/2

NADPH-producing
photosystem

 The

production of ATP by chemiosmosis in

photosynthesis

Thylakoid
compartment
(high H+)

Light

Light

Thylakoid
membrane

Antenna
molecules

Stroma
(low H+)

ELECTRON TRANSPORT
CHAIN

PHOTOSYSTEM II

PHOTOSYSTEM I

ATP SYNTHASE

Rubisco

Light Independent
Reactions:
The Details
Takes

place in the stroma of the chloroplast

Uses

CO2 (from the atmosphere)

ATP and NADPH (from the light-independent
reactions)
Ribulose (recycled)

Also

called the dark reactions

Also called the Calvin cycle
7-20

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Carbon Fixation and Sugar

Formation

Carbon dioxide gas is combined with a 5-carbon

sugar called ribulose.
Accomplished with an enzyme called ribulose
bisphospate carboxylase (RuBisCO)
Forms a 6-carbon molecule

Immediately broken down into two 3-carbon molecules

These 3-carbon molecules are
Energized by ATP
Reduced by NADPH

7-21

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate is formed.
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The Calvin Cycle

7-22

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Glyceraldehyde-3phosphate: The Product of

Photosynthesis

Glyceraldehyde-3phosphate can be used for

many things.

7-23

Used to make glucose

Used to recycle ribulose for
the Calvin cycle
Used to make the sugars
needed to build ATP, DNA
and RNA
Can be converted into lipids
Can be converted into
amino acids to make
proteins
Can be broken down in
glycolysis
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Other Aspects of Plant

Metabolism
Plant

cells can use the organic molecules

produced in photosynthesis to make

Fats, proteins and other carbohydrates

Toxins for their protection
Many

of these are useful medicines.

Some can be used as natural insecticides.

Vitamins
Molecules

7-24

that we cannot make, but that we need

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The Relationship between

Photosynthesis and Cellular
Respiration

7-25

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Competing Reactions
Rubisco

grabs CO2, fixing it into a

carbohydrate in the light independent
reactions.
Oxygen can also react with rubisco, inhibiting
its active site

not good for glucose output

wastes time and energy (occupies Rubisco)

Photorespiration
When

Rubisco reacts with O2 instead of CO2

Occurs

under the following conditions:

Intense Light (high O2 concentrations)

High heat

Photorespiration

is estimated to reduce
photosynthetic efficiency by 25%

Why high heat?

When

it is hot, plants close their stomata to

conserve water
They continue to do photosynthesis use up
CO2 and produce O2 creates high O2
concentrations inside the plant
photorespiration occurs

C4 Photosynthesis
Certain

plants have developed ways to limit

the amount of photorespiration
C4 Pathway*
CAM Pathway*
* Both convert CO2 into a 4 carbon intermediate
C4 Photosynthesis

Leaf Anatomy
In

C3 plants (those that do C3

photosynthesis), all processes occur in the
mesophyll cells.
Mesophyll cells

Bundle sheath
cells

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C4 Pathway

In

C4 plants
photosynthesis occurs in
both the mesophyll and the
bundle sheath cells.

Image taken without permission from

C4 Pathway

CO2

is fixed into a 4carbon intermediate

Has an extra enzyme
PEP Carboxylase that
initially traps CO2 instead
of Rubisco makes a 4
carbon intermediate

C4 Pathway
The

4 carbon intermediate
is smuggled into the
bundle sheath cell
The bundle sheath cell is
not very permeable to CO2
CO2

is released from the

4C malate goes through
the Calvin Cycle
C3 Pathway

C4 Photosynthesis

Crassulacean
CO2 at night and acid
metabolism
store as a 4 carbon
molecule Pathway
(CAM)

Fix

Keep

stomates closed
during day to prevent
water loss
Same general process
as C4 Pathway

CAM
Photosynthesi
s