Purpose:

- To determine the origin of pure substances within the structures of photosynthetic

products by modeling radioactive labeling.
Enduring Objectives:
- 2.A: Growth, reproduction, and maintenance of the organization of living systems require
free energy and matter.
- 2.E: Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic
homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination.
- 4.A: The subcomponents of biological molecules and their sequence determine the
properties of that molecule.
Science Practices:
- Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or
to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
- Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various
scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.
Question: What are the origins of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a molecule of G3P produced
in the Calvin cycle?
Materials:
- one chemical modeling set
- index card with NADP+ written on it
- index card with ETC written on it
Procedures:
1. Build the models for CO2 and H2O. Use black atoms for carbon, red atoms for oxygen,
and white atoms for hydrogen.
2. Pick the carbon atom in CO2, the hydrogen atoms in H2O, the oxygen atoms in CO2, or
the oxygen atom in H2O. Remove the selected atom(s) and replace it with a radioactive
isotope. Radioactive hydrogen atoms are orange and radioactive carbon/oxygen are
green.
3. Begin with the light reactions. Split the two hydrogen atoms off of H2O and replicate the
binding of H+ to NADP+ to form NADPH by placing one atom of hydrogen on the
NADP+ card. Simulate the production of ATP by passing a hydrogen atom through the
ETC card.
4. Now, begin the Calvin cycle. Use one molecule of CO2 and with Rubisco, create 2
molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate.
5. Using a molecule of ATP, phosphorylate 3-phosphoglycerate by removing the first carbon
and attaching a phosphate group.
6. Using a molecule of NADPH, reduce the newly formed 1,3-biphosphoglycerate into G3P.
7. G3P will be phosphorylated by ATP and react with hydrogen to become RuBP again.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 twice, radioactively labeling the other two atoms not chosen yet.
9. In steps 1-7, record the locations of radioisotopes in the given data table. Only enter in
data in the column of the atom that is currently being traced.

Safety Guidelines:
- This investigation is relatively safe; however, the small parts of the chemical models can
be choking hazards. Do not eat them.
Data and Results:
Stage of Photosynthesis
Hydrolysis of H2O
Chloroplast

Location of Carbon

Location of Hydrogen

Location of Oxygen

Chemiosmosis
NADPH Formation
Carbon Fixation
Intermediate
Phosphorylation
Intermediate Reduction
Formation of G3P
Reformation of RuBP
Analysis Questions:
1. A molecule glucose has the molecular formula: C6H12O6. In this investigation, G3P was
produced, which is a 3-carbon precursor that can form glucose. What are the origins of
the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that make up this molecule of G3P/glucose?
2. What is the role of NADPH and ATP in the Calvin cycle?
3. Glucose is the main source with which chemical energy can be transformed to do cellular
work. What allows glucose to have so much potential energy that it has driven glycolysis
to remain a selected, efficient pathway for catabolism in nearly all forms of life on Earth?
4. In what general ways is photosynthesis similar/different to cellular respiration?
5. After completing this investigation and understanding the origin of carbon in the
formation of sugars, what would be the effect of heat on a hot, summer day on a C3
plant?
6. After completing this investigation and understanding the origin of hydrogen in the
formation of sugars, what would be the effect of keeping a plant in the dark without
access to light?
7. After completing this investigation and understanding the origin of oxygen in the
formation of sugars, what would be the effect of growing a plant in a closed container
containing CO? Would the plant produce sugars? Why or why not?

Works Cited
Investigation 5 Photosynthesis. (2014, March 20). Retrieved May 21, 2016, from
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/bio-manual/Bio_Lab5Photosynthesis.pdf
NSTA: Scientific Inquiry. (2004, October). Retrieved May 22, 2016, from
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/inquiry.aspx
Reece, Jane B., and Neil A. Campbell. "10." Campbell Biology. Boston: Benjamin Cummings /
Pearson, 2011. N. pag. Print.