PhotosynthesisLecture Notes

Photosynthesis is the process that converts solar energy into chemical energy.
- The reactants are water and carbon dioxide and the product will be glucose and oxygen.
- The glucose produced will be utilized for the growth and development of the plants.
- Whereas the oxygen a by-product of the Photosynthesis is essential to most life forms
- Site of photosynthesis is in the chloroplast
- Photosynthesis reverses the direction of electron flow compared to respiration
- Photosynthesis is a redox process in which H2O is oxidized and CO2 is reduced
- Photosynthesis is an endergonic process; the energy boost is provided by light
Light reactions need light; dark reactions don’t

Formula: 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + O2

Divided into 2 main stages
o Light reactions (fig 10.11, 10.12, 10.14, 10.16)
Use water, light
The light reactions (in the thylakoids)
Split H2O
Release O2
Reduce NADP+ to NADPH
Generate ATP from ADP by photophosphorylation
Create ATP, NADPH, oxygen (by-product)
Redox process ( when the NADP+
Occurs at thylakoid membrane (contains the photosynthetic pigments) & inner thylakoids space
o Light-Independent Reactions: Calvin Cycle
Occurs in stroma of chloroplast
Occurs independent of
light
Temperature dependent
Use ATP, NADPH from
light reactions
Makes PGAL (G3P) →
CHO
o Chloroplast &
Photosynthetic Pigments
Pigment Excitation: Photosystem
Organization
*Photon hits pigments molecule and ‘excites’ a pair of
electrons to a higher orbital
*Photon increases potential energy of e-
*Electrons are passed among pigments until they are passed
to a specific chlorophyll a of reaction center
*The reaction center chlorophyll is oxidized and passes e- to
primary electron acceptor which is reduced

Cyclic Photophosphorylation
* Photosystem I: reaction center chlorophyll = P700:
chlorophyll a
* P700 absorbs light at λ=700nm
* P700 found in algae; most primitive Photosystem
*PS I makes ATP only, no NADPH (directly)
* Fd (ferredoxin) passes e- from P700 through cytochome complex and then returns e- to oxidized P700
* Cytochrome comples performs chemiosmosis
o H+ ions move from stroma into inner thylakoid space to create a gradient of H+ inside thylaoid relative to stroma
o H+ allowed to diffuse down concentration gradient (back into stroma) through ATP synthase

Non-Cyclic Photophosphorylation
*Photosystem II, then PS I
*Photosystem utilizes P680 as reaction center chlorophyll
* PS II makes both ATP & NADPH
* Occurs in ALL plans (mosses → pine → angiosperms)
* P680 is a strong oxidizing agent and stimulates enzyme to split water to replace e- of oxidized pigment (P680) & make O2
* Meanwhile, e- passed down electron transport chain of cytochrome complex; move H+ ions form stoma to inner thylakoid space
(chemiosmosis)
* H+ diffuse back into stroma through ATP synthase
* Electrons then used to reduce P700 of Photosystem I
* Photosystem I passes e- to reduce NADP+ with help of reductase enzyme to make NADPH
Light-independent Reactions – Calvin Cycle
*Also known as Calvin Cycle or C3 Cycle
* Required 9 ATP + 6 NADPH → 1 PGAL (G3P) a 3 carbon sugar used to make glucose

One turn of Calvin Cycle

1. Carbon fixation stage
a. CO2 enters and with help of enzyme Rubisco (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase) combines with RuBP
(ribulose bisphosphate) to form 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA) a 3-C molecule
2. Reduction Stage
a. PGA is reduced by ATP and NADPH to form PGAL
3. Regeneration of CO2 Acceptor Stage
a. Most of the PGAL stays in Calvin Cycle & is converted from 3C PGAL to 5C RuBP with help of more ATP
* For every one CO2 you get nothing; you need 3 cranks and 3 CO2 to achieve a PGAL

o The source of H+ is from NADPH

Photorespiration
1. Modern land plants are constantly fighting dehydration
2. Water is lost from plant’s stomata which are usually open during the day to allow CO2 into mesophyll cells of leaf
for photosynthesis (dark reactions, carbon fixation)
a. Also, water evaporates to “suck” water up into the plant
3. Water loss from plants through stomata = transpiration
4. Plants reduce water loss by closing stomata… but now the plants ‘starve’ (can’t fix carbon) b/c they use up their
supply of CO2 quickly and can’t get more CO2 b/c stomata are closed
5. Meanwhile, O2 accumulates in the leaf mesophyll from light reactions of Ps (photolysis) that continue because it’s
sunny
6. RUBISCO will bind RuBP to CO2 or O2 depend upon concentrations
7. If RUBISCO binds RuBP to oxygen → photorespiration
a. Photorespiraton produces a 2-carbon molecule which exists the chloroplast (& Calvin cycle) and must be
metabolized by mitochondria or peroxisome to convert back to CO2…
b. The problem is now RuBP is lost from the Calvin cycle b/c the 2-C molecule exits the chloroplast
8. Plants that close stomata and do the wasteful process of photorespiration are called C3 plants
9. C3 plants include: rice, wheat, soybeans … important agricultural plants that produce less food for US when it’s hot,
bright, and dry outside
Review Diagram

Questions in the slides.

1. Name the molecules that start the Calvin cycle.
- ATP, NADPH, CO2
2. How many CO2 are fixed in 1 turn of cycle
- 1 CO2 per turn
3. How many CO2 used to make 1 PGAL
-3
4. How many turns of the Calvin cycle are required to make 1 molecule of GLUCOSE
- 2 turns
5. How many PGAL (G3P) to make one glucose?
-2
6. Where in plant does Calvin cycle occur?
- Stroma
7. How many ATP, NADPH are required to make glucose?
- 18 ATP, 12 NADPH
8. Where does the energy come from to fix carbon in Calvin cycle?
- ATP & NADPH from light reactions
9. Can carbon-fixation occur in dark or if cloudy? Why?
- Yes, b/c as long as ATP & NADPH & CO2 are available, then the chemical reactions can occur