PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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PHOTOSYNTHESIS
❋ Makes organic molecules (glucose) out of inorganic materials
....(carbon dioxide and water).
❋ It begins all food chains/webs. Thus all life is supported by this
… process.
❋ It also makes oxygen gas
 EVENTS ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS
6CO2+ 12H2O ⟶ C6H12O6 +6O2+6H2O
❋Take place in chloroplast with the help of sunlight
❋Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll
❋Conversion of light energy to chemical energy and splitting of water in
….to H2 and O2
❋Reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrate
❋The process of photosynthesis takes place in leaf
LEAF

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A typical leaf is made up of the following parts:
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● Upper and lower epidermis

● Spongy mesophyll
● Palisade mesophyll
● Cuticle
● Vascular bundles
● Stomata
STRUCTURE OF LEAF

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CHLOROPLAST
Chloroplast is an organelle that contains the photosynthetic pigment
chlorophyll that captures sunlight and converts it into useful energy, thereby,
releasing oxygen from water.

❋Chloroplasts are found in all green plants and algae.

❋They are the food producers of plants.
❋These are found in the guard cells located in the leaves of the plants.
❋They contain a high concentration of chlorophyll that traps sunlight.
STRUCTURE OF CHLOROPLAST

1,INNER MEMBRANE
2,INTERMEMBRANE SPACE
3,OUTER MEMBRANE
4,STROMA
5,THYLAKOID
6,LAMELLA
Membrane Envelope
It comprises inner and outer lipid bilayer membranes. The inner membrane separates the stroma
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from the intermembrane space.

Intermembrane Space
The space between inner and outer membranes.

Thylakoid System
The system is suspended in the stroma. It is a collection of membranous sacs called thylakoids.
The green coloured pigments called chlorophyll are found in the thylakoid membranes. It is the
sight for the process of light-dependent reactions of the photosynthesis process. The thylakoids
are arranged in stacks known as grana and each granum contains around 10-20 thylakoids.

Stroma
It is a colourless, alkaline, aqueous, protein-rich fluid present within the inner membrane of the
chloroplast present surrounding the grana.

Grana
These are the sites of conversion of light energy into chemical energy.

Chlorophyll
It is a green photosynthetic pigment that helps in the process of photosynthesis.
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•Chloroplast is a green cell organelle located in both palicide and

spongy cells in a leaf
•Chloroplast perform the process photosynthesis – light and dark
reactions
•Light reaction take place in grana
•Dark reaction take place in stroma
LIGHT REACTION
•Light reaction take place in grana.
•Grana consist of chlorophyll
•Chlorophyll absorb sunlight
•By using sunlight ,water will be divided in to H2 and O2 called
photolysis
•Water is involved in this phase
Final product of light reaction is reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide
phosphate(reduced) (NADPH2) and ATP molecules
DARK REACTION
•It take place in stroma
•The product of light reaction ,NADPH2 utilized in dark reaction
and produce glucose.
•CO2 is involved in this phase.
•Final product of dark reaction is C6H12O6
•It is otherwise called carbon fixation
STEPS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

1, Absorption of Light
2, Electron Transfer
3, Generation of ATP
4, Carbon Fixation
 ABSORPTION OF LIGHT
- The first step in photosynthesis is the absorption of light by chlorophylls that are
attached to the proteins in the thylakoids of chloroplasts.
- The light energy absorbed is then used to remove electrons from an electron donor
like water, forming oxygen.

ELECTRON TRANSFER
The electrons are now further transferred from the primary electron
acceptor through a chain of electron transfer molecules present in the
thylakoid membrane to the final electron acceptor, which is usually NADP+.
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GENERATION OF ATP
The movement of protons from the thylakoid lumen to the stroma through
the complex results in the generation of ATP.

CARBON FIXATION
The NADP and ATP generated in steps 2 and 3 provide energy, and the
electrons drive the process of reducing carbon into six-carbon sugar
molecules.
Step 1
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the plant leaf through stomata, i.e., minute epidermal pores
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in the leaves and stem of plants which facilitate the transfer of various gases and water vapor.
Step 2
Water enters the leaves, primarily through the roots. These roots are especially designed to draw the
ground water and transport it to the leaves through the stem.
Step 3
As sunlight falls on the leaf surface, the chlorophyll, i.e., the green pigment present in the plant
leaf, traps the energy in it. Interestingly, the green color of the leaf is also attributed to presence of
chlorophyll.
Step 4
Then hydrogen and oxygen are produced by converting water using the energy derived from the
Sun. Hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide in order to make food for the plant, while oxygen
is released through the stomata. Similarly, even algae and bacteria use carbon dioxide and hydrogen
to prepare food, while oxygen is let out as a waste product.
PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Six factors that influence the rate of photosynthesis:
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● Temperature
● Light intensity
● Light wavelength
● Carbon dioxide availability
● Chlorophyll concentration
● Water availability
 IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1. Atmospheric Gases
In photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen as a by-product. Without the
process of photosynthesis, it would be difficult to replenish all the oxygen being used in processes
such as combustion and respiration.
Moreover, the amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere would rise to dangerous levels
Therefore, it suffices to say that photosynthesis helps to balance atmospheric gases.
2. Food and Energy
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Green plants produce their own food through photosynthesis. They are
called producers. Conversely, animals and humans are consumers.

They get all of their food from plants, either directly or indirectly. In fact,
the larger part of the world’s population gets over 80% of its food directly
from plants. The remaining source is obtained from animals.

And animals are part of the food chain, which normally starts with
plants. Speaking of the food chain, the energy you get from the food you
eat is also a product of photosynthesis, whether the food is from plants or
animals.
4. Wood and Other Side Products
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We use wood for a wide range of purposes, including construction and

combustion. Paper is also a product of wood.
Moreover, cotton and other natural fibers consist of cellulose produced virtually
entirely by photosynthesizing plants. And while wood comes from the sheep, the
sheep gets its food from the plants. It is, therefore, suffice to say that we wear
clothes courtesy of photosynthesis.
5. Medicinal Products
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Most medicines are manufactured using various chemicals extracted from plants.
And thousands of plants have been confirmed to have medicinal properties.
Bottom Line
Photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae, and some bacteria
to convert solar energy into chemical energy. Besides light energy,
other photosynthesis ingredients are water and carbon dioxide. It is a
complex, enzyme-controlled process that is vital for the existence of
all lifeforms on Planet Earth. Namely, all living things are dependent
on plants, directly or indirectly.
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