CHAPTER 3

PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 Autotroph

LESSON
LEARNING Structure of the chloroplast

O U T C O M E S
Photosynthetic pigments
 NATURE OF SUNLIGHT
• Light are form of electromagnetic energy and also called electromagnetic
radiation.
• Light travels in rhythmic waves.
• The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of electromagnetic energy.

Visible light
Shorter wavelength Longer wavelength
High energy Lower energy
 VISIBLE LIGHT
• Light and other forms of radiation made up individual packet of energy known
as photon.
• Energy of photon related to its wavelength.
• Visible light range from 400nm – 700nm.

Visible light
Shorter wavelength photon Longer wavelength photon
High energy Lower energy
 Photosynthetic Pigment
• Pigments are substance that absorb visible light.
• Different pigment absorb different
wavelength light.
• What happen when light strikes leaf?
 Light may be absorbed, may be transmitted
(passed through) or may be reflected
(bounced back again).

Why • Leaves appear green

plants because chlorophyll reflects
appear and transmits green light.
green?
• Light that been absorbed is
the source or energy for
photosynthesis.
 Photosynthetic Pigment
1. Main photosynthetic pigment:
• Chlorophyll a
 absorbs blue and red light.
 initiates light dependent reaction

2. Accessory pigment:
• Chlorophyll b
 absorbs blue and red orange.
 Reflect blue green
• Xanthophyll
 absorbs blue-green light
 reflect yellow
• Carotenoid
 absorbs blue–green light.
 Reflect yellow, orange and red.
 absorbs excessive light that would
damage chlorophyll.
• Phycocyanin
 absorbs green and yellow
 reflect blue or light purple
Absorption Spectra of Pigments
Different pigments absorb light
differently.

Wavelength of light best absorbed by

this 3 types of chloroplast pigment.

The absorption spectrum of chlorophyll

a suggests that violet-blue and red light
work best for photosynthesis.

http://ressources.unisciel.fr/tp_virtuels/Pigment_Extraction_Lab
 -note
magnesium
atom at center

Structure of Interacts with

hydrophobic
Chlorophyll molecule regions of
proteins inside
thylakoid
membranes of
chloroplasts.
• TOP – Orange yellow (Carotene)
• 2rd – Deep yellow (Xanthophyll)
• 3rd – Blue green (chlorophyll a)
• 4th – Yellow green (chlorophyll b)

Paper
Chromatography
using spinach leaves

https://pulpbits.net/6-leaf-chromatography-pictures
• When a pigment absorbs
light, the electron goes from Excited
e– state
a ground state to an excited
state, which is unstable.

Energy of electron
• When excited electrons fall Heat
back to the ground state,
photons are given off, an
afterglow called
fluorescence.
• If illuminated, an isolated Photon
solution of chlorophyll will (fluorescence)
Photon
fluoresce, giving off light Ground
Chlorophyll state
and heat. molecule

(a) Excitation of isolated chlorophyll molecule

Excitation of
Chlorophyll by Light
To be continued…
Thank You