10 ICSE | BIOLOGY

Photosynthesis – Summary Notes

 Photosynthesis (the name first proposed by Barnes in 1898) involves in the building of simple
carbohydrates such as sugars in the green leaf by the chloroplasts in the presence of sunlight
(as a source of energy) from carbon dioxide and water from the air and soil, respectively.
 During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is reduced into carbohydrates with the formation of
water and liberation of oxygen. The formation of carbohydrates is carried out by green plants
only, chlorophyll being indispensable for the process. The overall reaction of photosynthesis
is as follows:
6CO2  12H2O 
Sunlight
Chlorophyll
 C6H12O6  6H2O  6O2 
 The volume of oxygen liberated in the process has been found to be equal to the volume of
carbon dioxide absorbed. But it is to be noted that the source of oxygen liberated is water and
not carbon dioxide.

Structure of a Chloroplast
 Chlorophyll, the green coloured pigment is essential for the process of photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll remains present in disc-like structures called chloroplasts.
 Chloroplasts are found in the mesophyll cells located between the upper epidermis and lower
epidermis of leaves, and in the guard cells of stomata. They are also found in the outer layers
of young green stems of plants.

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  Each chloroplast is surrounded by two membranes – an outer membrane and an inner
membrane, and inside it contains stroma and thylakoids. Thylakoids are closely packed like
piles of coins, collectively called grana.

Opening and Closing of Stomata

 Leaves have numerous stomata through which diffusion of gases takes place. During the
daytime, stomata are opened for diffusion of carbon dioxide, which is needed for the process
of photosynthesis. At night when photosynthesis stops, the stomata get closed.
 The special cells which surround the stomata are called guard cells. They control the size of
the stomata. There are two guard cells around each stoma.

 Photosynthesis does not occur when light is not present (at night). This causes the guard cells
to collapse, therefore reducing the size of the stoma. That is why stomata are closed at night.

Mechanism of Photosynthesis
 Photosynthesis is the biological process by which energy-rich carbon-containing compounds
are produced from carbon dioxide and water by the chlorophyll containing green cells,
liberating oxygen as a by-product.

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  It is essentially an oxidation-reduction reaction by which hydrogen of water reduces carbon
dioxide into glucose. Since glucose or fructose appears to be the first carbohydrate formed in
photosynthesis, the overall reaction may be represented as
6CO2  12H2O  Sunlight
Chlorophyll
 C6H12O6  6H2O  6O2
 The process of photosynthesis consists of two types of reactions – one for which light is
essential and the other which can proceed in the dark.

Light dependent reaction – Hills reaction (or photochemical phase)

 This reaction of photosynthesis requires light energy and so is known as light reaction. It takes
place in thylakoids of the chloroplast.
 During this reaction, light energy absorbed by the chlorophyll is used to split the water
molecules by a process known as photolysis.
As a result of photolysis, oxygen is released by breaking of water molecules into the
atmosphere.
The chemical changes during light reactions are:
(a) Absorption of light by chlorophyll
Chl.   Photon 
Light
 Chl *
Chlorophyll Excitedformof chlorophyll

(b) Photolysis of water and formation of molecular oxygen

H 2O  H   OH 
2OH  2OH  2e
2OH   H 2O  O2  2e 
4  OH   2H2O  O2  4e
(c) Reduction of NADP (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate)
NADP  2e  2H  
Reductaseenzyme
 NADPH  H
(d) Formation of ATP (Photophosphorylation)
ADP  Pi  energy  ATP
(Adenosinediphosphate) (Inorganicphosphate)  Adenosinetriphosphate

Dark reaction – Calvin cycle (or biosynthetic phase)

 This is the second stage which follows immediately after the light reaction. It does not require
light energy (but can take place in both light and dark), therefore it is known as dark reaction.
 This reaction takes place in the stroma, the part surrounding the grana.
The chemical changes occurring in dark reactions are:
(a) Fixation of CO2 : The carbon dioxide in the leaves combine with a 5-carbon compound
ribulose 1, 5 biphosphate (RuBP) and forms an unstable 6-carbon compound. This unstable
compound splits into two molecules of 3-carbon compound phosphoglyceric acid (PGA).
It is the first stable compound formed during photosynthesis.

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 (b) Formation of simple sugar: In the presence of ATP and NADPH, the phosphoglyceric
acid is converted into phosphoglyceraldehyde (PGAL), which is further converted into
glucose.
(c) Regeneration of RuBP: Some molecules of phosphoglyceric acid undergo a series of
reactions to produce ribulose 1, 5 biphosphate (RuBP).
The overall process may be represented as
6 RuBP  6CO2  18 ATP  12 NADPH  12 H   6 RuBP  18 ADP 
C6 H12O6  18Pi  12 NADP  6 H 2O
(d) Future of glucose synthesised by the green leaves: Glucose being soluble in water
cannot be stored in the cells of the leaf, therefore it is temporarily converted into insoluble
form, i.e. starch during the daytime.
 At the night, when the process of photosynthesis stops, the stored starch is converted
back into glucose, by an enzyme called hydrolase. The glucose then gets translocated
to other parts of the plant by phloem for storage or to get energy.
Again glucose is converted into starch, sugars or oils which we get from the plants as
food.

Factors Affecting the Rate of Photosynthesis

 The rate of photosynthesis is affected by a number of external and internal factors.
 Light intensity: Low intensity of light decreases the rate of photosynthesis whereas high
intensity, up to the extent unless CO2 becomes a limiting factor, increases the rate of
photosynthesis.
Therefore, plants grow best in shady places than under direct sunlight.
 The rate of photosynthesis increases in blue and red lights.
 Temperature: High temperature affects the activity of enzymes rather destroys it, and low
temperature ceases the enzyme activity, therefore, optimum temperature is best suited for
photosynthesis.
 Carbon dioxide: In normal conditions, the rate of photosynthesis increases with the increase
in concentration of carbon dioxide up to 1%. Very high concentration of CO2 (more than 1%)
decreases the rate of photosynthesis.
 Water: The rate of photosynthesis decreases if water supply is stopped for some time as it
makes the guard cells flaccid to close the stomata partially.
 Chlorophyll: Chlorophyll is the most important factor because this is the only substance
through which light energy (radiant energy) gets converted into chemical energy. Plants which
are devoid of chlorophyll (fungi and saprophytes) are unable to synthesise food material.
 Protoplasm: Dehydration of protoplasm and enzymes present in the protoplasm also affect
the rate of photosynthesis. In the complete absence of oxygen, photosynthesis cannot take
place. But variations in oxygen percentage have no effect on the rate of photosynthesis.

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  Internal structure of a leaf: The thickness of cuticle layers, the size of the leaf and the number
of stomata, their position and behaviour affect the penetration of light and diffusion of carbon
dioxide in the leaf.

Significance of Photosynthesis
 Synthesis of organic food: Green plants are actually the factories in which the complex
organic compounds are synthesised from simple inorganic materials.
 Energy: Energy is required by all the living beings for performing various life activities. They
get energy from food and carbohydrates which are formed by green plants by the process of
photosynthesis.
 Provide oxygen: The plants provide oxygen which is essential to support life. It is evolved as
waste during photosynthesis.
 Consumption of carbon dioxide: The process of photosynthesis decreases the concentration
of carbon dioxide which is being added to the atmosphere due to respiration by organisms and
burning of fossil fuels.

Adaptations of Leaves for Photosynthesis

A leaf is best suited for photosynthesis because of the following important features:
 Large surface area for maximum light absorption.
 Rapid transport of water and minerals to and from the mesophyll cells by many veins.
 Numerous stomata for greater exchange of CO2 and O 2 gases.
 Thinness of leaf for light penetration and rapid transport.
 Large number of chloroplasts in the upper layers of leaf to trap more amount of light energy.

Carbon Cycle
 Carbon dioxide is taken in from the air by the green plants and returned to the atmosphere
through living organisms by the process of respiration. This occurs in the form of a cycle which
repeats itself, therefore, it is a continuous cycle necessary for life.

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