Chapter 7 - Photosynthesis

• Almost all plants are photosynthetic autotrophs, as

are some bacteria and protists
– They generate their own organic matter through
photosynthesis..

(c) Euglena
(d) Cyanobacteria

(b) Kelp
(a) Mosses, ferns, and
flowering plants
• Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplasts, which:
– Are found in the cells of the mesophyll
– Contain stroma, a thick fluid
– Contain thylakoids, membranous sacs in stacks
called grana..
Vein
Chloroplast
Meso-
phyll Inner Outer
membrane membrane

Stomata

Leaf cross section Mesophyll cell

Grana Stroma Thylakoid Thylakoid
space
The Overall Equation for Photosynthesis
• The reactants and products of the reaction..

Light
energy

Photo-
Carbon Water synthesis Glucose Oxygen
dioxide gas
• Photosynthesis is a two-step process:
– Light reactions – require sunlight energy
to split water molecules into 2H and O2
– Calvin Cycle (dark reactions) – hydrogen
generated from the light reactions is used
to reduce CO2 to generate sugar – does
not require sunlight
• Leaves absorb CO2 through stomata..
Light
Chloroplast

NADP
ADP
+P
Light Calvin
reactions cycle
• Chlorophyll molecules absorb photons
– Electrons in the pigment gain energy
– The energy is released and used..

Excited
e state
1 2

Heat
Light
(b) fluorescence of isolated chlorophyll in solution

Light
(fluorescence)
Photon
Ground
Chlorophyll state
molecule

(a) Absorption of a photon

(c) Fluorescence of a glow stick

• The light reactions in the thylakoid membrane

2NADP+ 2NADPH2
– 2H2O O2 ..
 Light Reactions To Calvin Cycle

Light Light
ADP + P
NADP

Stroma
Electron transport chain
Thylakoid ATP
membrane synthase
Inside thylakoid

1/
2
 The Calvin Cycle: Making Sugar From
Carbon Dioxide

• The Calvin cycle

– Functions like a sugar factory within a
chloroplast
– Regenerates the starting material with each turn

6NADPH2 6NADP + 12H

6CO2 C6H12O6
 Input
3 CO2

3 RuBP 6 3-PGA

3 ADP 6 ADP + 6
Calvin
3
cycle 6

6 NADP

5 G3P 6 G3P

1 G3P

Glucose and
Output other compounds
• Photosynthesis has an enormous impact on
the atmosphere
– It swaps CO2 in the atmosphere for O2

Why do we need the O2?..