AP BIOLOGY

PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1. Vocabulary to know:
A. ATP
Adenosine Triphosphate – molecule of energy
that cells use to power their metabolism process
B. Autotroph/ Producer
Organism that makes it own food
C. Cellular Respiration Process in which break down glucose and make
ATP for energy

D. Energy Ability to do work

E. Glucose Simple carbonhydrate (formula C6H12O6) –

universal food for life
F. Heterotroph/ Consumer Organism that consume other organism for food

G. Photosynthesis
Process in which using sunlight energy to make
food (glucose)
H. Calvin cycle Second stage of photosynthesis, in which carbon
(Light-Independent atoms from carbon dioxide are combined, using
Reactions) the energy in ATP and NADPH, to make glucose

I. Chemosynthesis Process of using energy in chemical compounds

to make food

J. Chlorophyll Green pigment in chloroplasts that absorbs

sunlight in the light reactions of photosynthesis

K. Chloroplasts
Organelle in cell which the process of
photosynthesis takes place
L. Light-Dependent First stage of photosynthesis, in which light
Reaction energy is captured combine with H2O and
change into chemical energy that is store in ATP
and NADPH

M. Electron Transport
Chain A series of electron carrier proteins shuttle high
enery eletrons during ATP-generating reactions.
N. Stoma
Pores on the surface of leaves that allow water to
be released during transpiration
O. Stroma Space outside of the thylakoid membrane of the
chlorophast where Calvin Cycle of
photosynthesis takes place
 P. Thylakoid membrane
Membrane in chloropast where light reaction of
photosynthesis takes place

2. Lable a picture of a chloroplast (stroma(1), thylakoid (5), thylakoid space (4),

inner membrane(2), stroma lamellea (6) and outer membrane(3).

3. How do autotrophs and heterotrophs obtain their energy?

Autotroph -> makes own food using sunlight
Heterotroph -> consumes others for energy -> Depend on autotroph -> without
autotroph, heterotroph would die
4. Use both chemical symbols and words to write out the formula for
photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O + SUNLIGHT -> C6H12O6 + 6O2.
Carbon dioxide reacts with water and energy from the sun to make glucose and
oxygen.
5. What else does photosynthesis require other than water, carbon dioxide, and
light?
Chlorophyll – pigment found in chlorophast
6. What does chlorophyll do?
Absorbs sunlight (capture sun’s energy)
7. What wavelength colors does chlorophyll absorb and what wavelength colors does
it reflect?
Absorbed: red and blue
Reflected: green
8. What process takes place in the chloroplast?
photosynthesis
9. Where do you find photosystems I & II?
Thylakoid membrane (protein channel similarly)
10. What are the two stages of photosynthesis?
Light – dependend reactions & Calvin cycle
11. Where do the light-dependent reactions take place?
Thylakoid
 12. Where do the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle or Dark Reactions) take
place?
Stroma
13. What is the energy source for the light-dependent reactions? The Calvin cycle?
Calvin: ATP and NADPH
Light – dependent: sunlight
14. Know all the reactants and products of the light-dependent reactions and the
Calvin cycle.

Light –Dependent Reactions: Calvin Cycle:

Energy Source: ___light__________ Energy Source: ATP & NADPH___________
Reactants: __H2O___________ Reactants: _____CO2___________
__NADP+________ ____ATP____________
__ADP+P________ ____NADPH__________
Products: __NADPH________ Products: ____Glucose__________
__ATP___________ ____NADP+___________
__O2___________ ___ADP + P__________
15. Know the three main factors that can affect the rate of photosynthesis
Amount of water, sunlight (light intensity), temperature
16. Know the energy sources for chemosynthesis.
Ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfides
17. Explain what occurs in the light reactions stage of photosynthesis. Be sure to use
NADP+ and photophosphorylation in your discussion. (in steps)
 1. Chlorophyll absorb sunlight (in Photosystem 1 & 2)
2. H2O is split -> H+ ions, O2, 2 -e
3. E- move from PS II to PS I along the electron transport chain
4. H+ create electrochemical gradient -> H+ is pumped acrosss the membrane in
thylakoid.
5. E- re-energized through sunlight absorbtion
6. E- combine with NADP+ converted to NADPH
7. ADP is converted into ATP in ATP synthase
8. ATP and NADPH go to Calvin Cycle
18. Explain the Calvin cycle, utilizing the term carbon fixation in your discussion (In
steps)
1. Carbon dioxide from the air incorporate into the chloroplast (occurs in the
stroma) -> carbon fixation
2. Reduce fixed carbons into carbonhydrate by adding electrons provided by
NADPH.
3. ATP is used for charging up chemical energy.
4. End result is G3P carbonhydrate molecule (3 carbon each) -> used to produce
glucose.
19. Identify the stage of photosynthesis in which the following things happen (Light
Reactions I or Calvin Cycle II):
A) Glucose is produced ____________II_____________
B) CO2 enters the chloroplast ____________II_____________
C) Water molecules split ____________I_____________
D) ATP ‘batteries’ are charged up ____________II_____________
E) Sun energy is absorbed by chlorophyll ____________I_____________
F) Hydrogens are bonded to carbons ____________I_____________
G) Oxygen leaves the leaf through the stomata ____________I_____________
H) Hydrogens build up inside the thylakoids ____________I_____________
I) ATP Synthase starts to spin ____________I_____________
J) Enzymes utilize ATP energy to build bonds ____________II_____________

Light Dependent Reaction Calvin Cycle

 - Occurs in the thylakoid
membranes
- Water is split into oxygen and
H+ ions
- Solar energy is captured and used
to produce ATP energy and
transfer electrons to NADPH
- Occurs in the stroma
- Carbon Dioxide is fixed into
organic molecules (with the help
from enzyme called Rubisco)
- ATP: provides energy; NADPH:
provide electrons

- ATP is produced through - G3P exit Calvin cycle and

chemiosmosis (ETC generates a converted into glucose
proton gradient across the
thylakoid membrane which
powers ATP synthase)

Visible Spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet -> wavelength
380nm to 750nm
Wavelength vs energy: shorter the wavelength, higher the energy; longer the
wavelength, the lower the energy.
 Red light has less energy than violet light because it has the shortest wavelength
Photosynthesis: chlorophyll absorbs violet-blue and red light. Green light is the least
effective light for photosynthesis -> reflect green light -> chlrophyll has green colour

1. Photon from light energy is captured through PSII and transfer to

chlorophyll
2. Excited electron from chlorophyll is transfered to primary electron acceptor
3. H2O is split into Hydrogen ions and oxygen
4. Electrons being transfered through ETC (provides energy for synthesis of
ATP by chemiosmosis – movement of H+ ions through thykaloid membrane
generating a electrochemical gradient)
5. Electrons is then re-energized and pass through PSI
6. E- combine with NADP+ converted to NADPH
7. Chemiosmosis generate H+ ions pumping through ATP synthase creating energy
to convert ADP with phosphate addition -> photophosphorylation
  Light energy is converted into chemical energies stored in ATP and NADPH


1. What compound is the source of electrons for linear electron flow? Water -> source of
oxygen in the atmosphere.
2. As electrons fall between photosystem II and I, the cytochrome complex uses the energy to
pump hydrogen ions. This builds a proton gradient that is used in chemiosmosis to produce
what? ATP
3.
RuBP -> ribulose biphosphate