Chapter 2

Module 7

Photosynthesis
 Module 7

Photosynthesis

Objective of Lesson:

To explain the Process & Purpose of

Photosynthesis
 Overview of Photosynthesis

Convertssolar energy
to chemical energy
Plants &
photosynthetic
organisms make
about 160 billion
metric tons of organic
material per year
 Overview of Photosynthesis
 Plants - autotrophs (self-feeders)
 Organic matter from inorganic
 Inorganic : CO2, H2O & minerals
Photosynthetic Autotrophs
Photosynthetic Autotrophs
Photosynthetic Autotrophs
Cyanobacteria Bloom
Plants
 Basics of Photosynthesis
 Accepts waste products of cellular
respiration : CO2 & H2O - Rearranges atoms
(need light energy) to glucose & O2
 Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight (energy)
 Basics of Photosynthesis

Chloroplastsplits H2O to
hydrogen & oxygen
Hydrogen is transferred
from H2O to CO2
H is also moving along
with electrons
Electrons added to CO2
 Basics of Photosynthesis

Chloroplasts transfer
H with electrons to
CO2 to form sugar

Oxygen is formed &

escapes through
stomata as waste
product
 Chloroplasts
Site for photosynthesis
Present in green plants
In mesophyll cells

CO2 enters, O2 exits through stomata

Water needed in photosynthesis
Absorbed by roots & travels to leaves
 Chloroplasts

Double membrane envelope

Inner membrane filled with stroma
Stroma: thick fluid
Disk-like membranous sacs: thylakoids
Found suspended in the stroma
Stacks of thylakoids are called Granum
 Granu
m

Chloroplasts
Chloroplasts
Stomata
Stomata
 Photosynthesis Road Map
 Not a single
process
 Involves two
processes with
many steps

 2 main stages :
 Light
Reactions
 Calvin Cycle
 Photosynthesis Road Map
 Light
Reactions – convert solar energy to
chemical energy
 Changes H2O to O2

 Produces -
ATP & NADPH (e carrier)

drives e- from water to NADP+ forming

 Light

NADPH
 Calvin Cycle - sugar from CO2
Overall Equation
 Nature of Sunlight
 Typeof energy called electromagnetic
energy

 Full
range of radiation is called the
electromagnetic spectrum

 Visible
light composes only a small fraction
of spectrum

 Chloroplastabsorb some of the visible light,

converting it to chemical energy
Electromagnetic Spectrum
 Chloroplast Pigments

 Different pigments absorb light of

different wavelengths

 These pigments are built into

thylakoid membranes

 Are part of light harvesting complexes

called photosystems
 Chloroplast Pigments

There are 3 types of pigments:

 Chlorophyll a

 Chlorophyll b

 Carotenoids
 Chlorophyll a

Participates directly in Light

Reactions
Absorbs blue-violet & red light
Reflects green light
Chlorophyll a
 Chlorophyll b
Absorbs blue and orange light
Reflects yellow green light
Does not participate directly in
reactions
Broadens range of light to be absorbed
Convey the energy to chlorophyll a
 Carotenoids
 Absorbs blue-green
light
 Yellow-orange in
color
 Found in carrots
 Passenergy to
chlorophyll a
Carotenoid Pigments in Trees
Chloroplast Pigments
 Photon
 Lightbehaves as discrete
packets of energy

 Called photons

A fixed quantity of energy

 When a pigment molecule

absorbs photon, electrons
gain energy
 Photosystem
A cluster of a few
hundred pigment
molecules
 Functions as a light
gathering antenna
 When a photon
strikes one
pigment, energy
jumps from pigment
to pigment
 Until it arrives at the
Reaction Center
 Photosystem
 The reaction
center is next to
the primary
electron acceptor

 The primary
electron acceptor
traps the light-
excited e- from
the reaction
center
Photosystem
Photosystem
 Light Reactions
 2 types of photosystems:
 Water-splitting
photosystem
• Use light energy to extract
e- from H2O
• Releases O2 as waste
product
 NADPH-producing
photosystem
• Produce NADPH
• Transfer e- from
+
Light reactions
Analogy
Light Reactions in Thylakoid Membrane
 Calvin Cycle
 Functions like a sugar
factory
 Input: CO2, ATP & NADPH
 ATP & NADPH is from light
reactions
 Produces sugar :
glyceraldehyde 3-
phosphate (G3P)
 G3Pis the raw material to
make glucose or other
organic molecules
Simplified
Calvin
Cycle
Overview of Photosynthesis
 Water Saving Adaptations

C3 plants
C4 plants
CAM plants

 Certain
photosynthetic
adaptations enables
plants to continue
producing food even
in arid conditions
 C3 Plants

 Plants that use CO2 directly

from air e.g. soybeans, oats,
wheat, rice
 Problem faced : dry weather
 Stomata will be closed to
decrease water loss
 A decrease in CO2 intake
and photosynthesis
 C4 Plants
Special adaptations to
save water without
shutting down
photosynthesis
e.g. corn, sugarcane,
sorghum
 Evenwhen the stomata is
closed it can still continue
photosynthesis
 C4 Plants
It has special enzymes
Enzyme + CO2 = 4-C compound

The enzyme has a high affinity for CO2

Takes it from the air spaces of the leaf

4-C donates CO2 to the Calvin cycle

 CAM Plants

“crassulacean
acid
metabolism”
e.g. succulent
plants -
pineapple, cacti,
aloe vera
 CAM Plants

Conserves H2O
- opens stomata only at night

Incorporates CO2 into 4-C molecule

Banks (stores) CO2 at night & releases

it during the day to the Calvin cycle
 Greenhouse Effect
 CO2used by plants to carry out
photosynthesis
 Makes up 0.03% of the air we breathe
 CO2in the air helps to moderate world
climate
 Retains heat from the sun
 Warminginduced by CO2 is called the
greenhouse effect
CO2 Concentration
 Greenhouse Effect
 Atmospheric CO2 traps heat
 Warms the air or else the temperature of the
Earth would be 10oC colder
Greenhouse Effect
Methane
 Global Warming
 Presently, Earth may be overheating
 Reasons:
 Excessive combustion of
Carbon-based fuels
 Widespread clearing-up of
forests (logging)
 Rapid Industrialization
Global Warming
 Global Warming

Global warming is
the slow & steady
rise in earth’s surface
temperature

Due to increased
concentrations of
CO2
Global Warming
Is It Too Late?