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Autotrophic
self feed
Not totally self-sufficient!
They make their organic materials
from inorganic raw materials.
Plants
Autotrophs/photoautotrophs
Light to make carbohydrates, lipids and
proteins.
Chloroplasts
Green parts, but the leaves are the
major site.
500,000 mm2
Photosynthesis overview
The light reactions and the Calvin
Cycle cooperate in converting light
energy to the chemical energy of
food.
Therefore, PHOTOSYNTHESIS = 2
multi-step processes
Light Reactions-the
overview
Convert solar energy to chemical energy.
Transfer of 2 electrons and H+ from water to
acceptor NADP+
NADP+ temporarily stores the energized electron
Location of 2 process
Light Reactions happen in
THYLAKOIDS of chloroplasts.
Calvin Cycle happens in the STROMA.
Review of LIGHT
Light electromagnetic energy that
travels in waves.
Wave of particles of energy with no
mass called PHOTONS.
Photosystem I and II
Photosystem (pigments) = antenna-complex
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
Carotenoids s
RememberProduces ATP
by pumping H+
against the
gradient into
the stroma.
CALVIN CYCLE
Carbon enters the Calvin Cycle in
form of CO2 and leaves as sugar. ATP
is main energy source and NADPH
adds high energy electrons to make
sugar.
Calvin Cycle makes a 3 carbon sugar
G3P. To make this the cycle must
occur 3 times fixing 3 CO2s.
2. Reduction
Each PGA gets and additional phosphate. Next an e from NADPH reduces it to G3P.
3. Regeneration of RuBP
10 G3Ps must rearrange into 6 RuBP. ***Takes 6
ATP.
2 G3P products take a total of 18 ATP and 12 NADPH
C3 plants
C3 plants produce food when their stomata close
on hot, dry days.
Decrease in CO2 starves the Calvin Cycle. Also
rubisco can actually accept O2 in place of CO2. The
product splits and a one-piece 2-carbon compound
is exported from the chloroplasts. Mitochondria
and peroxisomes then break the 2-C molecule
down to CO2. This is photorespiration. *This
generates no ATP and no food.
In fact, it decreases photosynthetic output by
siphoning organic material from Calvin Cycle.
2 ways to overcome:
C4 photosynthesis and CAM
1. C4 plants preface the Calvin Cycle with another
form of carbon fixation that forms a 4-C compound
as its first product.
Examples: corn and sugarcane
C4 process: 2 steps
Step 1: CO2 is added to PEP by PEP carboxylase.
The product is a 4-C oxaloacetate. PEP
carboxylase has a much higher affinity for CO2
than rubisco. Even on hot days CO2 decreases O2
increases.
Step 2: Mesophyll exports 4-C product to bundlesheath where the 4-C product releases CO2.
Rubisco then can perform its job in the Calvin
Cycle. Result high enough CO2 concentration for
rubisco to fix CO2 instead of O2, minimizing
photorespiration and enhancing sugar production.
CAM Plants
Succulent plants (ice plant, cacti, pineapples)
Reverse stomata open during night, closed during
day
During night CO2 is taken-up and converted to organic
acid. Crassulacean Acid Metabolism=CAM
Mesophyll cells store organic acids made at night
until morning. During the day, the light reactions
supply ATP and NADPH for Calvin Cycle. CO 2 is
released from organic acid made the night before to
become incorporated into sugar.
***C4 and CAM both use organic intermediate before
the Calvin Cycle.
SUMMARY
Sugar made in chloroplasts supplies the entire
plant with chemical energy and carbon skeletons
to make all major organic molecules of cells.
About 50% consumed as fuel. Sometimes there
is a loss because of photorespiration. Most
plants transport sucrose out of leaves. Sucrose
provides raw material for cellular respiration,
proteins, lipids, other products. A lot of sugar
(glucose) is used to make cellulose. Plants make
more sugar than needed for these products and
processes. Extra is stored as starch.
Plant response to
environment
Water deficit
Decrease in O2
Salt stress
Heat stress
Cold stress
herbivores
Light intensity
Too much light = photoinhibition
Extra energy (too much for electron
transport chain) is passed to O2
which reacts with H2O to form OH- or
H2O2. These substances damage
chloroplasts by reacting with
pigments and proteins.
Temperature
Higher temperature gives more
energy so photosynthesis increases,
BUT if it gets too high the proteins
break apart slowing photosynthesis.
High temps also increase cell
respiration and the use of sugar
product by cells. It also reduced gas
solubility so there is less CO2 to be
fixed.
CO2 Concentration
Increase in CO2 concentration
increases photosynthesis to a max
point, after which the rate levels of.
Above a certain point increase in CO2
does not afect photosynthesis.
***Factor in shortest supply has the
most afect. PRINCIPLE OF LIMITING
FACTORS
Chemoautotrophy
Bacteria that obtain energy from oxidizing inorganic
materials. Energy is then used to fix carbon themselves.
They best survive in places where there is little
competition short supply of light and organic
molecules.
They fix carbon with Calvin Cycle, however the source of
energy and electrons vary.
They have electron transport systems.
They pass electrons from extracted substance through
transport system to generate ATP and NADPH or NADH.