Photosynthesis Inhibitors

1. Why do plants need to produce glucose? What do they use it for? List 4.

- Plants need glucose to grow and reproduce

- making cell walls, making proteins, making fruits, and respiration

2.The triazine herbicides bind to molecules within the primary electron acceptor of photosystem II and block electron flow.
Describe the potential effects of the triazine herbicides on photosynthesis. Explain how each would be influenced?

Water Oxygen NADPH ATP pH CO2 Glucose

No Less Greatly Decreases/stops decreases Stops

effect produced reducing fixation decreases

3. The bipyridillium herbicides bind to electrons that would normally interact with Fd, therefore inhibiting its function. Using
the diagram below to guide you, describe the potential effects of the bipyridillium herbicides on photosynthesis.

Water Oxygen NADPH ATP pH CO2 Glucose

No No effect Inhibits Decreases/stops decreases Stops Stops

effect

4. A plant is exposed to a high intensity of light (wavelength beyond 700nm) but is not effectively carrying out
photosynthesis. Predict why this might be the case.

A plant’s chlorophyll cannot process electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is over 700 nm

5. Briefly discuss how photosynthesis would take place in a prokaryotic cyanobacterium.

The process of photosynthesis occurs in the inner folding of the plasma membrane.

4. The figure shows cyclic electron flow and short circuit. Using a photosystem related to the one below, this is one of the means green
sulfur bacteria use to produce ATP. What photosystem does it involve? What gets produced? How? Does NADH or oxygen get
produced? Explain. PS1 and PS2, NADH Is produced from PS1 through the cytochrome complex, NADH = NADP++H+
6. The following diagram represents an experiment with isolated thylakoids. The thylakoids were first soaked in a solution at a pH of 4.
After the thylakoid space reached a pH of 4 , the thylakoids were transferred to a basic solution at pH 8. The thylakoids then made ATP in
the dark.

§ Draw an enlargement of part of the thylakoid membrane in the beaker with the solution at pH 8.

§ One of the inner folding would increase in size

§ Draw ATP synthase.

§ Would be drawn where ATP is made, ADP and phosphate together

§ Label the areas of high and low H+ concentration.

§ Low concentration is in pH 4 and high in the other

§ Show the direction protons flow through the enzyme.

§ High to low concentration in the thylakoid membrane

§ Show the reaction where ATP is synthesized.

§ CO2+H2O à CH2O + O2

§ Would ATP end up in the thylakoid or outside of it?

§ Outside

§ Explain why the thylakoids in the experiment were able to make ATP in the dark.

§ That part of photosynthesis did not need light, H+ gradient was not required for ATP synthesis