Summary
17 Photosynthesis
1 In photosynthesis, light energy is absorbed by
chlorophyll pigments and converted to chemical
energy, which is used to produce complex organic
molecules.
2 In the light-dependent reactions, water is split by
photolysis to give hydrogen ions, electrons and
oxygen. The hydrogen ions and electrons are used to
reduce the carrier molecule, NADP, and the oxygen
is given off as a waste product.
3 ATP is synthesised in the light-dependent reactions
of cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation.
During these reactions the photosynthetic pigments
of the chloroplast absorb light energy and give out
excited electrons. Energy from the electrons is used
to synthesise ATP.
4 ATP and reduced NADP are the two main products
of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis,
and they then pass to the light-independent
reactions.
5 In the light-independent reactions, carbon dioxide
is trapped by combination with a 5C compound,
RuBP, which acts as an acceptor molecule. This
reaction is catalysed by the enzyme ribulose
bisphosphate carboxylase (rubisco), which is the
most common enzyme in the world. The resulting
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6C compound splits to give two molecules of a
3C compound, GP (also known as PGA). GP is
reduced to carbohydrate, using ATP and reduced
NADP from the light-dependent reactions.
This carbohydrate can be converted into other
carbohydrates, amino acids and lipids or used to
regenerate RuBP. This sequence of light-independent
events is called the Calvin cycle.
6 Chloroplasts, palisade mesophyll cells and whole
leaves are all adapted for the efficient absorption of
light for the process of photosynthesis.
7 When a process is affected by more than one factor,
the rate of the process will be limited by the factor
closest to its lowest value. The rate of photosynthesis
is subject to various such limiting factors, including
light intensity and wavelength, carbon dioxide
concentration and temperature.
8 A graph of the particular wavelengths of light that
are absorbed by a photosynthetic pigment is called
an absorption spectrum, and a graph of the rate of
photosynthesis at different wavelengths of light is
called an action spectrum.
9 The different pigments present in a chloroplast can
be separated by paper chromatography.
Summary: Chapter 17 11