PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS

How is Photosynthesis essential to our survival

mankind depends upon plants for their nutritional requirements

it provides food for all living organisms

it reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, since they enter leaves through the stomata, it
reduces greenhouse effects

it helps in respiration

without this, carbon cycle would not occur, oxygen requiring life would die

basis of fossil fuel, coal, petroleum, etc was formed due to photosynthetic process which was
brought about by the degradation of past plants

contributes to carbon cycle, to manufacture carbon compounds

What is the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration

waste product of photosynthesis is used in cellular respiration (carbon dioxide)

waste product of cellular respiration is the fuel to photosynthesis
(carbon dioxide and water)

plants get energy from photosynthesis, and for photosynthesis to occur it needs water, sunlight,
and carbon dioxide
- takes place in the chloroplast

cellular respiration is important for that is how we obtain our energy

- takes place in the mitochondria

● Photosynthetic Organisms: algae, plants, and cyanobacteria

- transform solar energy into carbohydrates
- called autotrophs
● Photosynthesizers: produce all food energy
- some sun energy not captured goes back to our atmosphere

● Photosynthesis: captures solar energy and converts into chemical energy and ends up
stored into carbohydrates

● Photosynthesis
- takes place in the green portions of plants
- cells containing chloroplasts
- specialized to carry on photosynthesis
- but not all mechanisms of plant utilize sun

- raw materials for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water

- they enter through a door called stomata

- main product of photosynthesis is glucose

- (glucose is used to power a plant’s cell)

- Chlorophyll is the pigment used to make food

- bi product of photosynthesis is oxygen

● Pigments:
- chemicals that absorb some colors in rainbow more than others
- colors least absorbed reflected

● Absorption Spectra
- pigments found in chlorophyll absorb various portions of visible
- chlorophyll is green because it absorbs much of the reds and blues of the white light

FACTS

- raindrops of rainbow reflect light

- during sunset, orange/red is the most visible because it is the longest wavelength
- dark colors have the greatest energy and make us feel hot or warm, whereas light colors
make us feel cold.

● Photosynthesis Releases Oxygen

● Photosynthetic Reactions: 2 Sets of Reaction

 ● Oxidation creates free radicals, charged particles
- the lost electrons during transport are compliment by photolysis reaction

● Osmosis is the transfer of water from a concentrated to a diluted solution

- e.g. when we soak ourselves in the beach, then our hands will wrinkle

APPLICATION

- photosynthesis of plants will be cut short

- results in lack of oxygen
- unclean air
- due to deforestation
- increase in temperature decreases productivity because plants will need more
water

- If plants only receive green pigment, what will happen?

- photosynthesis will lessen because the plant will reflect the green wavelength but will not
absorb green light

- Why is it that during fall, leaves turn to yellow/orange?

- in autumn, leaves turn to yellow or orange because there is limited sunlight or length of
daylight causing the chlorophyll to break down, therefore the green color disappears

Overview of Photosynthesis

conversion of light energy into energy stored in the covalent bonds of glucose molecules

carried out by photoautotrophs: plants, phytoplankton, any photosynthetic organism that contain
chlorophyll

the basis of almost all ecosystems: all “food energy” come from the sun

occurs in Chloroplasts
[ sunlight - chloroplast - thylakoid - undergo ps2 - electron chain - ps1 - electron chain -
first phase ]

2 SET OF REACTIONS

Light dependent “Light Reactions”

sunlight into energy (stored in ATP & NADPH), oxygen is generated because water molecules
are being broken down

happens in the thylakoid

occurs only in sunlight

produces oxygen

Light independent “Dark Reactions”

use chemical energy from light reactions to glucose

uses energy stored in ATP and NADPH (produced by the light reactions)

can occur in dark (does not require light directly)

takes place in stroma of chloroplasts

there is production of glucose

no production of oxygen

these reactions are called “endergonic”, they take in energy to perform these reactions

CONCEPTS

Thylakoid: provides the light dependent reaction in the chloroplast

Stroma: the light independent takes place — carry out photosynthetic process

Photosynthesis and Respiration: essentially reverse each other

Cellular Respiration: converts glucose and oxygen into water

Chemiosmosis: production of ATP, process on formation of sugar molecules

Chlorophyll

absorbs “non-green” light energy

green light passes on through or is reflected, causing leaves to appear green

plants with green color are poor absorbers of green

Why are plants green?

chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light from the sun and reflects green

plants have to regulate the amount of light it emits

colors plants absorb can help them do that

if plants absorbed all light from the sun, they’d be much more vulnerable to its fluctuations

just the right wavelengths to absorb enough sunlight in the first place, and just enough
difference between the wavelengths to handle fluctuations

● Environments differ, and so do details of photosynthesis

● C3 plants
● C4 plants
● CAM plants
 CONCEPTS

Stomata

small openings through the waxy cuticle covering epidermal surfaces of leaves and green stems

allow CO2 in and O2 out

Close on dry days to maximize water

C3 Plants

most common

use only the calvin cycle to fix carbon

inefficient in dry weather when stomata are closed

Photorespiration

rubisco attaches to oxygen instead of carbon

Co2 is produced rather than fixed

C4 Plants

have additional set of reactions for sugar production on dry days when
stomata are closed, compensates for inefficiency of rubisco

e.g. corn, switchglass, bamboo

CAM Plants

alternative carbon fixation pathway that allows them to conserve water

in climates where days are hot