1

Anne Gelli L. Lauron, LFT, LPT

Special Science Teacher I
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
C onve rt ing Light t o C he m ic a l Ene rgy
 The sun is the Earth’s
main source of energy.
• The producers (autotrophs)—plants, certain
bacteria, and protists, make life on Earth possible.
• Through photosynthesis light energy from the Sun
is converted to chemical energy that different
organisms can harness.
 Photosynthesis
•A process that harnesses light energy
(photons) from the sun to convert CO2
and H2O into Glucose (organic
macromolecules)
 Photosynthesis
•It is a reduction-oxidation process
SUN
photons

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

 Redox Reaction
A process which involves the transfer
of electrons between atoms.

Two types: (LEOGER)

1. loss of e Oxidation
- =

2. gain of e Reduction
- =
 Oxidation Reaction
The loss of electrons from a substance
or the gain of oxygen.
 Reduction Reaction
The gain of electrons from a substance
or the loss of oxygen.
 Site of photosynthesis
•Leaf – primary organ of photosynthesis
•Stomata – tiny pores undersurface of leaves
which facilitate the entry of CO2 and release of O2.

•Chloroplast - pigment-containing organelle

found in plant cells
-its pigments absorb sunlight
-mostly concentrated in the mesophyll layer
Site of photosynthesis
 Chloroplast
• Organelle where
photosynthesis takes place.
• Pigments are stacked up as
grana in the thylakoid
membrane in the chloroplast.
 Chloroplast
• Organelle where
photosynthesis takes place.
• Pigments are stacked up as
grana in the thylakoid
membrane in the chloroplast.
 Nature of Light
•Light- form of electromagnetic energy or
radiation energy

•Photon- particle of light that serves as a

discrete bundle of energy.

•Green light- wavelength of 495-570 nm

•Photoelectric effect- happens when
photons transfer energy to electrons.
 Pigments
•Chlorophyll a- most
important pigment in
photosynthesis
-absorbs the red and blue
violet light rays and
reflects green light.
 Pigments
•Chlorophyll b- absorbs the orange
and blue light and reflects yellow
green light.
- doesn’t directly participate in the
light reactions however it channels the
energy it absorbs to chlorophyll a to
boost its energy.
 Pigments

•Carotenoid- absorbs blue-green

light; passes energy it absorbs to
chlorophyll a.
 Photosystem
• a network of chlorophyll a,
accessory pigments such as
carotenoids, and associated
proteins found on the protein
matrix of the thylakoid
membrane.
• It is consist of antennal complex
and a reaction center.
 Antennal Complex

composed of hundreds of
pigments that gather photons
and channel light energy to the
reaction center
 Reaction Center
composed of transmembrane
protein pigment complexes
where the photochemical
reaction occurs.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1. Light-dependent Reaction
2. Light-independent Reaction
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1. Light-dependent reaction - overview
•1 ststage
•Involves conversion of light energy to chemical energy in the
form of ATP
•Also produces NADPH
•Utilizes light, water and other light absorbing molecules
•Produces O2(waste-material), NADPH and ATP (used in 2nd phase
to produce sugar)
•Takes place in thylakoid membrane
 STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LDR
• There are two linked photosystems in the light
reaction phase: photosystem I and photosystem II.
• These two photosystems were named in the order of
their discovery and not on how they operate.
• Photosystem I has an absorption peak of 700 nm, so its
reaction center is called P700.
• Photosystem II, has an absorption peak of P680 nm and
its reaction center is called P680.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LDR
Photosystem II
The steps that take place from Photosystem II to Photosystem I to
complete the light reactions are the following:
1. Chlorophyll a and other accessory pigments absorb
energy from sunlight which is transferred to the
electrons. These high-energy electrons leave the chlorophyll
and enter the electron transport chain composed of proteins
that lie along the thylakoid membrane.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LDR
PHOTOLYSIS
2. Water molecule splits into oxygen,
hydrogen ions, and electrons. The electrons
from water replace those that were excited
and left the chlorophyll when light energy was
absorbed.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LDR
3. In the electron transport chain (ETC), electrons
transfer from protein to protein. The energy derived
from this process is used to pump H+ ions from the
outside to the inside of the thylakoid membrane
against the concentration gradient. This results in
the buildup of H+ ions inside the thylakoid. From
here, electrons move on to photosystem l.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LDR
4. It is the flow of hydrogen ions from the inside to the
outside of the thylakoid membrane that is responsible
for the difference in the concentration gradient. The
protein channel that facilitates this flow of ions is
called the ATP synthase. This channel makes ATP
molecules by adding phosphate to ADP, a process
called phosphorylation.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LDR
Photosystem I
5.Similar to Photosystem II, chlorophyll and
other light-absorbing molecules inside the
thylakoid membrane absorb energy from
sunlight. This way, electrons are energized and
leave the molecules.
6.The energized electrons are added to a
molecule called NADP' reducing it to NADPH.
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
2. Light-independent reaction - overview
•2 stage
nd

•“Calvin cycle” – named after discoverer American biochemist

Melvin Calvin
•Takes place in the stroma
•Dependent on the by-products of LDR, the ATP and NADPH
•Also needs CO2
•Produces Glucose
 STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LIDR
1. The process begins with CO2
fixation wherein carbon dioxide (CO,)
is added to the five-carbon
compound already found in the
stroma called the ribulose phosphate
(RuBP). This results in the production
of two molecules of 3-
phosphoglycerate (3PGA), which
have a total of 6 carbon molecules.
This process is facilitated by the
enzyme RuBP carboxylase (RuBisCO).
 STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LIDR
2. Each 3GPA compound
receives an additional
phosphate from ATP, which is
supplied by
the light-dependent reactions.
This results in the formation of
1,3 bisphosphoglycerate
(1.,3 BPGA)
 STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LIDR
3. 1,3 BPGA is reduced by 2
electrons of NADPH which come
from the light-dependent
reaction. This results in the
formation of PGAL
(phosphoglyceraldehyde also
known as glyceraldehyde 3-
phosphate).
 STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Main events in LIDR

4. PGAL is used in
synthesizing glucose and in
regenerating RuBP. When
CO, enters the cycle, it will
combine again with the 5-
carbon compound RuBP,
and the cycle continues.
LDR
LIDR