Lesson 3 - Week 2

Chloroplasts – Structure and function

Photosynthesis is a complex metabolic pathway – a series of reactions linked to each other in
numerous steps – many of which are catalysed by enzymes. These reactions take place in 2 stages.
The first is the light dependent stage that is concerned with the
water molecule and the release of oxygen. This is followed by the
light independent stage which includes carbon dioxide. Both of
these stages take place inside the chloroplasts within leaf cells and
often the stems of plants. See Electron micrograph to the left.

Each cell in the photosynthesizing tissue may have 10-100

chloroplasts inside it. A chloroplast (refer to endosymbiont
theory) is surrounded by 2 membranes forming an envelope.
There are more membranes inside the chloroplast which are
arranged so that there are fluid-filled sacks between them. The
membranes are called lamellae and the fluid-filled stacks between
them are called the thylakoids. A stack of thylakoids (like
pancakes) is called a granum. The background material inside the
chloroplast is called the stroma (like cytoplasm).

Embedded tightly in the membrane inside the chloroplast are

several different types of photosynthetic pigments. These are coloured substances that absorb
energy from certain wavelengths of light. The most abundant pigment is chlorophyll which comes in
2 forms – chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. A pigment is a substance whose molecules absorb some
wavelengths of light but not others. The wavelengths it does not absorb are either reflected or
transmitted through the substance.

These unabsorbed wavelengths reach our eyes so we can see these pigments in these colours - the
majority being chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Both types of chlorophyll absorb similar wavelengths
of light but chlorophyll a absorbs slightly longer wavelengths than chlorophyll b.

Other pigments include carotenoids such as carotene and xanthophyll. These absorb a wide range of
short-wavelength light; including more blue-green light than chlorophylls and are accessory
pigments. They help by absorbing (shorter) wavelengths of light that could otherwise not be used by
the plant and they pass on some of this energy to chlorophyll.

The stacked membranes have a large surface are and so their photosynthetic pigments can capture
light very efficiently. The transformation of light energy into chemical energy is carried out by other
chemicals in the membranes closely associated with the photosynthetic pigments. The membranes
do not only hold chemicals but also create the thylakoid spaces. The space inside each thylakoid
(lumen) is needed for the accumulation of hydrogen ions (protons) used in ATP production.

Chloroplasts often contain starch grains because starch is the form in which plants store the
carbohydrates that they make by photosynthesis. They also contain ribosomes and their own
circular strand of DNA.
Pictures To Refer To