Photosynthesis

What is Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis

is a chemical process through

which plants, some bacteria and algae, produce
glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and
water, using only light as a source of energy.

This

process is extremely important for life on

earth as it provides the oxygen that all other life
depend on.

What is required for

Photosynthesis to occur?
Photosynthesisis
Theessential

the making of food by plants.

ingredients in making this food are

sunlight, the chlorophyll that is present in green
plants, water and carbon dioxide in the air.

The Process!

Step One:
Water

is taken in through
the roots of the plant and
transported to the leaves by
the xylem (tubes that carry
water) in the stems.

Step Two:
Carbon

dioxide animals
breathe out from the air
goes into the leaves through
the tiny pores called
stomata and is spreads to
the cells that contain
chlorophyll in the inside
layer of the leaf.

Step Three:
Sunlight

is used to break
down the water in the plant
into oxygen which the plant
gives off and we use to
breathe. The hydrogen is
then used with the carbon
dioxide to create the food
for the plants and
ultimately food for animals
as well.

What does the plant need

glucose (food) for?
Glucose

resulting from photosynthesis is used

during respiration to release energy that the plant
needs for other life processes.

The

plant cells also convert some of the glucose

into starch for storage.

Glucose

is also needed to make other chemicals

such as proteins, fats and plant sugars that are all
need for the plant to carry out essential growth
and other life processes.

Chloroplast
Chloroplast

is a complicated
internal structure in a plant cell
that contains the chlorophyll
needed for photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll

is stashed in
membranous sacs called
thylakoids.

Thylakoids
Inside

of the thylakoid is the

lumen and outside of the
thylakoid, but still inside the
chloroplast, is the stroma.

Thylakoids

grana.

are stacked into

Thylakoids Cont.
The

thylakoid membranes are

phospholipid biolayers, which
means they are really good at
maintaining concentration
gradients of ions, proteins, and
other things.

This

means keeping the

concentration higher on one side
than the other of the membrane.

Photosynthesis is
divided in two parts:

Light-dependent reactions
(light reactions)

Light reactions need light

to produce organic energy
molecules. They are
initiated by colored
pigments, mainly green
colored chlorophylls.

Light-independent reactions
(dark reactions).

Dark reactions make use of

these organic energy
molecules. This reaction cycle
is also called Calvin Benison
Cycle, and it occurs in the
stroma. ATP provides the
energy, while NADPH provides
the electrons required to fix
the CO2 into carbohydrates.

What actually happens?

Stage One: Light-Dependent
Reactions

First a photon runs into a

molecule of chlorophyll.

Next an electron absorbs

that energy and gets
excited. (Photoexcitation)

Photosystem II

Complicated complex of proteins, lipids, and other

molecules.

First of four protein complexes that plants need for the

light-dependent reactions.

Straddle the membrane of the thylakoids and the

chloroplasts.

Electron Transport Chain

a series of compounds that

transfer electrons from
electron donors to electron
acceptors

couples this electron

transfer with the transfer of
protons (H+ ions) across a
membrane.

Electron Transport Chain Cont.

Next Chlorophyll splits a

H2O molecule, by stealing
one of its electrons
(because it just lost one).

Finally, the much needed

oxygen is released from the
cell.

Cytochrome Complex

Serves as an intermediary
between PS I and PS II

Uses a little bit of energy

from the electron to pump
another proton into the
thylakoid.

Why are we doing this?

By pumping the thylakoid full of protons, were creating a

concentration gradient.

Naturally protons what to get far away from each other, so

they push there way through an enzyme on the side of the
thylakoid membrane called ATP synthase.

That enzyme uses that energy to pack an inorganic

phosphate onto ADP, which makes ATP.

Photosystem I

Similar to PS II but with some different

products.

After a couple of photons re-excite a

couple of electrons, the electrons pop
off and attach to another electron
carrier.

This time, all of that energy will be

used to help make NADPH, which is like
ATP, exists solely to carry energy
around.

Continue Tomorrow