10/20/2019

• Almost all plants are photosynthetic autotrophs, as

are some bacteria and protists
– Autotrophs generate their own organic matter through
photosynthesis
– Sunlight energy is transformed to energy stored in the

Introduction
form of chemical bonds Food Chain

(c) Euglena (d) Cyanobacteria

(b) Kelp
(a) Mosses, ferns, and
flowering plants

Photosynthesis is the process by which autotrophs use

light energy to make sugar and oxygen gas from
carbon dioxide and water

OVERVIEW OF
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Carbon Water Glucose Oxygen
dioxide gas
PHOTOSYNTHESIS

1
 10/20/2019

Review
The light reactions
Light
convert solar Chloroplast
energy to chemical
energy NADP
◦ Produce ATP & NADPH ADP
+P
Calvin
• The Calvin cycle makes sugar Light cycle
reactions
from carbon dioxide
– ATP generated by the light
reactions provides the
energy for sugar synthesis
– The NADPH produced by
the light reactions
provides the electrons for
the reduction of carbon
dioxide to glucose

The location and structure of chloroplasts

Chloroplasts: Sites of Photosynthesis
Chloroplast

• Photosynthesis In most plants, photosynthesis occurs primarily in the

LEAF CROSS SECTION MESOPHYLL CELL
LEAF

– Occurs in chloroplasts, organelles in certain leaves, in the chloroplasts

Mesophyll
plants
A chloroplast contains:
– All green plant parts have chloroplasts and carry ◦ stroma, a fluid
out photosynthesis
◦ grana, stacks of thylakoids
• The leaves have the most chloroplasts
◦ The thylakoids contain chlorophyll CHLOROPLAST Intermembrane space

• The green color comes from chlorophyll in the

chloroplasts
◦ Chlorophyll is the green pigment that captures Outer
membrane

• The pigments absorb light energy

light for photosynthesis
Granum Inner
membrane
Grana Stroma Thylakoid
Stroma Thylakoid compartment

2

1) Light-dependent reaction (LIGHT
Reaction)
◦ Requires light
◦ Occurs in chloroplast (in thylakoids)
◦ Chlorophyll (thylakoid) traps energy from light
Mechanismof ◦ Light excites electron (e-)
Kicks e- out of chlorophyll to an electron
Photosynthesis transport chain
Electron transport chain: series of
proteins in thylakoid membrane
2) Light-independent reaction (Dark
Reaction)
◦ Does not require light
◦ Calvin Cycle
Occurs in stroma of chloroplast
Requires CO2
Uses ATP and NADPH as fuel to run Light Reaction
Makes glucose sugar from CO2 and Hydrogen
10/20/2019
Light-dependent reaction (LIGHT Reaction)
◦ Energy lost along electron transport
chain
◦ Lost energy used to recharge ATP from
ADP
◦ NADPH produced from e- transport chain
Stores energy until transfer to stroma
Plays important role in light-
independent reaction
◦ Total byproducts:ATP, NADPH, O2
Cyclic Photophosphorylation
Process for ATP generation associated
with some Photosynthetic Bacteria
Reaction Center => 700 nm
3
 10/20/2019

P
Two types of
photosystems
cooperate in the
light reactions
ATP
mill

Water-splitting NADPH-producing
photosystem photosystem

Noncyclic Photophosphorylation
Photosystem II regains electrons by splitting Primary NADP

water, leaving O2 gas as a by-product The O2 liberated by photosynthesis is made from the electron
acceptor
Energy
Primary oxygen in water (H+ and e-) Primary
electron
to make 3
electron acceptor 2
acceptor

Primary
electron acceptor Light

Light

Primary
Photons electron
acceptor

Reaction-
1 center NADPH-producing
chlorophyll photosystem
Energy for
synthesis of

Water-splitting
PHOTOSYSTEM I photosystem
2 H + 1/2
PHOTOSYSTEM II by chemiosmosis

4
 10/20/2019

The electron transport chains are arranged with the

photosystems in the thylakoid membranes and pump
H+ through that membrane
◦ The flow of H+ back through the membrane is
harnessed by ATP synthase to make ATP
◦ In the stroma, the H+ ions combine with NADP+
to form NADPH

The Calvin cycle proceeds in three stages: carboxylation, reduction, and RuBP
The affinity of Rubisco for CO2 is sufficiently high to
regeneration ensure rapid carboxylation at the low concentration
of CO2 found in photosynthesizing cells

Carboxylation of the CO2 acceptor, The negative change in free energy associated with
ribulose-1, 5-biphosphate, forming carboxylation of RuBP is large so the forward
two molecules of 3-phosphoglcerate. reaction is favored.

Rubisco – the enzyme ribulose Rubisco will also take O2 rather than CO2 and
biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase oxygenate RuBP – called photorespiration.

Reduction of 3-phosphoglycerate
to form glyceraldehyde-3-
phosphate which can be used in The rate of operation of the Calvin Cycle can be

Dark Reaction formation of carbon compounds

that are translocated.
enhanced by increases in the concentration of its
intermediates. That is the cycle is autocatalytic.

Regeneration of the CO2 acceptor

ribulose-1, 5-biphosphate from
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate

5
 10/20/2019

A summary of the
chemical Chloroplast

Light
processes of
photosynthesis Photosystem II
Electron
transport
chains
Photosystem I
CALVIN
CYCLE Stroma
Thank You
Cellular
respiration
Cellulose
Starch
Other
LIGHT REACTIONS CALVIN CYCLE organic
compounds