Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION IV-A CALABARZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BATANGAS

LEARNING HANDOUT

Second Quarter Week 1

Lesson 1 ATP-ADP Cycle and Photosynthesis

A. Topic:
ATP-ADP Cycle and Photosynthesis

B. Most Essential Learning Competency:

Explain coupled reaction processes and describe the role of ATP in energy
coupling and transfer (STEM_BIO11/12IIa-j-1)
Explain the importance of chlorophyll and other pigments
(STEM_BIO11/12IIa-j-3)

C. Instructions:
Use this given handout to have a better understanding of the topic and to
answer various activities in the learning activity sheet.

D. Lecture:
ATP: Energy for Cells

ATP( adenosine triphosphate) is the common energy currency of cells;

when cells require energy, they spend ATP. ATP is constantly being generated from
ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and a molecule of inorganic phosphate. This complex
molecule provides us, living organisms, energy for the mechanical functions of cells.
This ATP contains the nucleoside adenine and a tail consisting of three phosphates
(reason for Triphosphate). The basic building blocks of the said complex molecule
are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorous. Just like in your daily life,
you can’t buy food without money as your currency. Same principle is being applied
in ATP. ATP is usually termed as the energy currency of every cell in your body,
meaning, no ATP, no energy. The level of energy it carries is just sufficient for most
of the cell’s biological reactions. ATP is used to build complex molecules, for the
movement of cells structure/ organelle, for muscle contraction and even for electrical
signals in nerves. ATP transport chemical energy within cells for metabolism. The
stored energy within its chemical bonds diffuses throughout the cell when it’s broken,
transporting the energy to the place where energy is needed. The release of energy
is when the third phosphate in ATP is removed leaving adenosine diphosphate
(ADP). Each cell contains (approximately) about one billion ATP molecules. This
amount of energy currency is enough for the cell’s needs that last only few minutes
and this must be rapidly recycled.
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Structure of ATP
ATP is a nucleotide composed of the nitrogen containing base adenine
and the 5- carbon sugar ribose also called adenosine and three phosphate
groups. ATP is called a high energy compound because a phosphate group is
easily removed. Under cellular conditions, the amount of energy released
when ATP is hydrolyzed to ADP + P is about 7.3 kcal per mole.

Coupled Reactions
In coupled reactions, the energy released by an exergonic reaction is
used to drive an endergonic reaction. ATP breakdown is often coupled to
cellular reactions that require an input of energy.

ATP breakdown provides the energy necessary for work to be performed. The
energy released when ATP becomes ADP + P is used to drive action.
Glucose breakdown during cellular respiration provides the energy for the
build-up of ATP in the mitochondria.

Function of ATP
a. Chemical wok
• ATP supplies the energy needed to synthesize macromolecules that
make up the cell and therefore the organism.
b. Transport work
• ATP supplies the energy needed to pump substances across the
plasma membrane.
c. Mechanical work
• ATP supplies the energy needed to permit muscles to contract, cilia
and flagella to beat and chromosomes to move and many others.

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Photosynthetic pigments
Plants are known as producers; they are the source of energy of most
organisms living on earth. The question is, if they are the producer, then who
would produce for them? What is their source of energy? The energy they
need is of course from the sunlight itself. They absorb the energy given by the
sun in order for them to make their own food and as a source of food to other
organisms as well, that is why they’re widely known as autotrophs. Most of the
plant cells (especially in leaves) contain chloroplast. The chloroplast contains
a semi-fluid medium which is the stroma (mix up of enzyme and water).
Embedded in the stroma is a complex network of stacked sacks. Each stack
is known as granum. A granum consists of disk-shaped interconnected sacs
called thylakoids. The organs for photosynthesis of plants always contain
assortment of pigments. Each pigment absorbs only certain rays of light. One
of the most known pigment is chlorophyll which makes the color of plants
green. Chlorophyll absorbs certain wavelength of the light within the visible
light spectrum. Green light is not absorbed but reflected, making the plant
appear green. Chlorophyll is found in the chloroplasts of plant cells. There are
three types of chlorophyll: chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and chlorophyll c.
Chlorophyll a is present in all photosynthetic plants including red, brown, and
blue-green algae except in photosynthetic bacteria. It plays an active role in
photosynthesis functioning as photo-enzyme. It also makes photosynthesis
possible by passing its energized electrons on to molecules which will
manufacture sugars. No plant was found to be capable of photosynthesis
without the presence of chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll b is an accessory pigment
and acts indirectly in photosynthesis by transferring light it absorbs to
chlorophyll a. It is present in higher plants and in green algae. Chlorophyll c
is found in certain marine algae, including the photosynthetic chromista (ex.
Diatoms, brown algae and dinoflagellates). Carotenoids or tetraterpenoids are
plant pigments responsible for bright red, yellow and orange colors in many
fruits and vegetables. They help plants absorb light energy for use in
photosynthesis. It cannot transfer sunlight energy directly to the
photosynthetic pathway but must pass their absorbed energy to chlorophyll.
Carotenoids also protect chlorophyll from photodamage. They also have an
important antioxidant function of deactivating free radicals- single oxygen
atoms that can damage cells by reacting with other molecules. There are two
classes of carotenoids: Xantophylls (which contains oxygen) and carotenes
(which are purely hydrocarbons and contain no oxygen). Carotene gives
carrots their color. Phycobilins are photosynthetic pigments efficient at
absorbing red, orange, yellow and green light, wavelengths that are not well
absorbed by chlorophyll a. They are water-soluble pigments, and are found in
the cytoplasm, or in the stroma of the chloroplast. They occur only in
cyanobacteria and rhodophyta.

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 E. References

Books:

Campbell, N. A., et.al.(2013).Biology.Pearson Education

Levine, K.M. (2013).Biology.Pearson Education
Mader, S.(2004).Biology. Mc Graw Hill

Others:
Learner’s Packet (LeaP)