PHOTOSYNTHESIS

PERFORMANCE TASK (MICROGARDEN)

 Water is an important requirement (Nicholas de
Saussure)

CO2 + H2O + light organic matter + O2

Red and blue light are effective in producing O2

during photosynthesis (Engelman)

History… Chlorophyll impt in photosynthesis (Sachs)

O2 came from H2O (van Niel , Robin Hill)

Final Electron acceptor in photosynthesis is NADP+

(contemporary botanists)
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
An anabolic, endergonic, CO2-requiring
process that uses light energy (photons) and
water (H2O) to produce organic
macromolecules (glucose).
Photosynthesis-starts to ecological food webs!
OXIDATION AND REDUCTION (REDOX)
Oxidation Reduction
­ Adding O ­ Removing O
­ Removing H ­ Adding H
­ Loss of Electrons ­ Gain of electrons
­ Releases energy ­ Stores energy
­ exergonic ­ endergonic

Oxidation
Reduction
6CO2 + 12H2O + Light energy ® C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
 Fate of the reactants in photosynthesis

Reactants: 6 CO2 12 H2O

Reactants: 6 CO2 12 H2O

Products: C6 H O6 O 6
6 H2 O 62
6O
Products: C12H
6 12 6 H2 O O2

6CO2 + 12H2O + Light energy ® C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O

PLANT LEAVES HAVE MANY TYPES OF CELLS!
PLANT CELLS
CHLOROPLASTS MAKE THE SUGARS!
HOW DO PLANTS
CAPTURE LIGHT?
 • Chlorophyll a
– main photosynthetic pigment
– found in all autotrophic organisms
• accessory Chlorophyll pigments
PHOTOSYNTHETIC – Absorb different wavelengths of light
PIGMENTS and pass the energy to chlorophyll a

1. Chlorophyll b – in all true plants;

2. Chlorophyll c – in golden brown and
brown algae
3. Chlorophyll d – in red algae
 WHERE ARE THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS
CONTAINED?
In the thylakoids Light

­Located in the cell Reflected

Light

membrane of Chloroplast

cyanobacteria
­Located in the
chloroplasts of Absorbed
light
Granum

algae and true Transmitted

plants light
 CHLOROPHYLL MOLECULES
Located in the thylakoid membranes.

Chlorophyll have Mg+ in the center.

Chlorophyll pigments harvest energy (photons) by

absorbing certain wavelengths (blue-420 nm and red-
660 nm are most important).

Plants are green because the green wavelength is

reflected, not absorbed.
e.g.
Xanthopyhylls
Chlorophyll b
Carotenes
CHLOROPHYLL
CH3 in chlorophyll a
CHO in chlorophyll b
CH2

CH H CH3

H3C C
C
C
C
C
C
C CH2 CH3
Porphyrin ring:
C N N C Light-absorbing
H C
C N
Mg
N C
C H
“head” of molecule;
H3C
C C C C CH3 note Mg atom at center
H C C C
H
CH2 H C C

CH2 O
O

C O O

O CH3

CH2

Hydrocarbon tail:
interacts with hydrophobic
regions of proteins inside
thylakoid membranes of
chloroplasts
http://6e.plantphys.net/ch/07/wt07.01/wt0702a.png
Visible light is only a small
part of the electromagnetic
spectrum (all forms of light).
THE VISIBLE LIGHT SPECTRUM

­Includes the colors of light we can see

(=reflected radiation)
­Includes the wavelengths that drive
photosynthesis
­Photosynthetic pigments absorb the visible
spectrum
LIGHT behaves as if it were composed of "units"
or "packets" of energy that travel in waves. These
packets are photons.
The wavelength of light determines its color.
 WHICH WAVELENGTH OF LIGHT ARE MOST EFFECTIVE
IN DRIVING PHOTOSYNTHESIS?
Chlorophyll a

Chlorophyll b
Absorption of light by
chloroplast pigments

Carotenoids

Wavelength of light (nm)

(a) Absorption spectra. The three curves show the wavelengths of light best absorbed by
three types of chloroplast pigments.
BREAKDOWN OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Two main parts (reactions).

1. Light Reaction or
Light Dependent Reaction

Produces energy from solar power (photons) in

the form of ATP and NADPH.
BREAKDOWN OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

2. Calvin Cycle or
Light Independent Reaction or
Carbon Fixation or
C3 Fixation

Uses energy (ATP and NADPH) from light rxn to

make sugar (glucose).
LIGHT AND ATOMS
Two types of electron
flow:
1. Cyclic Electron Flow
2. Non-cyclic Electron
Flow
EXCITATION OF CHLOROPHYLL BY LIGHT
HOW PHOTOSYSTEM
HARVESTS LIGHT
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
1. LIGHT REACTION (ELECTRON FLOW)

Occurs in the Thylakoid membranes

During the light reaction, there are two possible

routes for electron flow.

A. Cyclic Electron Flow

B. Noncyclic Electron Flow

A. CYCLIC ELECTRON FLOW
Occurs in the thylakoid membrane.
Uses Photosystem I only
P700 reaction center- chlorophyll
Uses Electron Transport Chain (ETC)
Generates ATP only
ADP + P ATP
 A. CYCLIC ELECTRON FLOW

Primary
Primary acceptor
Fd
acceptor Fd

Only Pq
NADP+
NADP+

reductase
photosystem I Cytochrome
complex Only ATP
NADPH

is used is produced
Pc

ATP Photosystem I
Photosystem II
Figure 10.15
 Cyclic Electron Flow

Some organisms such as purple sulfur

bacteria have PS I but not PS II
Cyclic electron flow is thought to have
evolved before linear electron flow
Cyclic electron flow may protect cells from
light-induced damage
B. NONCYCLIC ELECTRON FLOW

Involves Photosystems I & II

Produces NADPH, ATP, and oxygen
ATP and NADPH provide the chemical energy
and reducing power, respectively, to the Calvin
Cycle, a carbon fixation process (=dark reaction)
B. NONCYCLIC ELECTRON FLOW
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
8 STEPS IN LINEAR ELECTRON FLOW
1. A photon hits a pigment and
its energy is passed among
pigment molecules until it
excites P680
2. An excited electron from
P680 is transferred to the
primary electron acceptor
(we now call it P680+)
 3. H2O is split by enzymes, and the
electrons are transferred from the
hydrogen atoms to P680+, thus
reducing it to P680
a) P680+ is the strongest known
biological oxidizing agent
b) O2 is released as a by-product
of this reaction
 PLANTS PRODUCE O 2 GAS BY SPLITTING H 2O

The O2 liberated by
photosynthesis is made from
the oxygen in water (H+ and e-)
4. Each electron “falls” down an
electron transport chain from the
primary electron acceptor of PS II
to PS I
5. Energy released by the fall drives
the creation of a proton gradient
across the thylakoid membrane
◦ Diffusion of H+ (protons) across
the membrane drives ATP
synthesis
6. In PS I (like PS II),
transferred light
energy excites P700,
which loses an electron
to an electron acceptor
◦ P700+ (P700 that is
missing an electron)
accepts an electron
passed down from
PS II via the
electron transport
chain
7. Each electron “falls” down
an electron transport
chain from the primary
electron acceptor of PS I
to the protein ferredoxin
(Fd)
8. The electrons are then
transferred to NADP+ and
reduce it to NADPH
◦ The electrons of NADPH
are available for the
reactions of the Calvin
cycle
◦ This process also removes
an H+ from the stroma
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
CHEMIOSMOSIS

Powers ATP synthesis.

Located in the thylakoid membranes.

Uses ETC and ATP synthase (enzyme) to make

ATP.

Photophosphorylation: addition of phosphate

to ADP to make ATP.
 CHEMIOSMOSIS
SUN
H+ H+ (Proton Pumping)
Thylakoid E
PS II T PS I
C
high H+
H+ H+
concentration
H+ H+ H+ H+

Thylakoid
H+ ATP Synthase Space

low H+
ADP + P ATP concentration
H+
CALVIN CYCLE
Carbon Fixation (light independent rxn).

C3 plants (80% of plants on earth).

Occurs in the stroma.

Uses ATP and NADPH from light rxn.

Uses CO2.

To produce glucose: it takes 6 turns and uses 18 ATP and

12 NADPH.
CALVIN CYCLE
Remember: C3 = Calvin Cycle

C3

Glucose
CALVIN CYCLE
 RUBISCO, BOTH A CARBOXYLASE
AND AN OXYGENASE!
As carboxylase, it initiates carbon fixation reactions
As oxygenase, it catalyzes reaction between Rubisco
and oxygen under conditions of CO2 limitations
­ Initiates breakdown of sugars to CO2
­ This is called photorespiration.
­ It occurs in the light (photo); consumes O2 while producing CO2
(respiration); and uses up ATP but produces no sugar molecules.
­ Photorespiration reduces photosynthetic efficiency of the Calvin cycle by as
much as 50%!
 Alternative mechanisms of
carbon fixation
Certain plants minimize the cost of
photorespiration
­ By incorporating CO2 into four carbon compounds
in mesophyll cells

Alternative pathways include:

1. Hatch-Slack pathway or C4 pathway
2. Crassulacean Acid Metabolism or CAM
C4 PLANTS
Hot, moist environments.
Plants partially close their stomata during the day

15% of plants (grasses, corn, sugarcane).

Divides photosynthesis spatially.

Light rxn - mesophyll cells.

Calvin cycle - bundle sheath cells.

 C3 and C4 Plant Structure
Upper
epidermis
Palisade mesophyll
Bundle sheath cells
of veins
Mesophyll

Spongy
mesophyll
Chloroplasts

(a) In C3 plants, the Calvin cycle takes
place in the mesophyll cells, and the
bundle sheath cells are nonphotosynthetic.
(b) In C4 plants, reactions that fix CO2 into
four-carbon compounds take place in the
mesophyll cells. The four-carbon
compounds are transferred from the
mesophyll cells to the photosynthetic
bundle sheath cells, where the Calvin cycle
takes place.
Fig. 4-15, p. 79
 C4 LEAF ANATOMY AND THE C4 PATHWAY
Photo-
Mesophyll
synthetic Mesophyll cell
Bundle- cell PEP carboxylase CO
CO22
cells of
sheath
C4 plant
cell
leaf
Oxaloacetate (4 C) PEP (3 C)
Vein ADP
(vascular tissue) Malate (4 C) ATP

C4 leaf anatomy Bundle- Pyruvate (3 C)

Sheath
CO2
cell
Stoma
CALVIN
CYCLE

Sugar

Vascular
tissue
CAM PLANTS
(CRASSULACEAN ACID METABOLISM)
Hot, dry environments.

5% of plants (cactus and succulent plants).

Stomates closed during day.

Stomates open during the night.

Light rxn - occurs during the day.

Calvin Cycle - occurs when CO2 is present.

 CAM Pathway
Epidermis
NIGHT DAY
CO2
Stoma open Stoma closed

Epidermis CO2
Malate Malic
acid
Malate Malic
acid
CO2
Sugar
Vacuole
Mesophyll cell
Cytoplasm

(b) CAM plants open their stomata at
night, and CO2 enters. In mesophyll
cells, the CO2 is converted into malate,
which is stored in cell vacuoles as malic
acid.
(c) During the day, when stomata are
closed, CO2 is removed from malate and
becomes available to be fixed into sugar
by the Calvin cycle in the chloroplasts
(located in the cytoplasm).
THE CAM PATHWAY IS SIMILAR TO THE C 4 PATHWAY

Sugarcane Pineapple

C4 CAM
CO2 CO2
Mesophyll Cell
Night
Organic acid 1 CO2 incorporated Organic acid
Bundle- into four-carbon
sheath organic acids
cell (carbon fixation) Day
(a) Spatial separation (b) Temporal separation
of steps. In C4 CALVIN 2 Organic acids CALVIN of steps. In CAM
plants, carbon fixation CYCLE release CO2 to CYCLE plants, carbon fixation
and the Calvin cycle Calvin cycle and the Calvin cycle
occur in different occur in the same cells
types of cells. Sugar Sugar
at different times.