Essentials of The Living World 5th Edition George Johnson

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6 Photosynthesis: Acquiring Energy from the Sun

CHAPTER OUTLINE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Define photosynthesis, and name the three layers of a leaf through which light must pass to reach
chloroplasts (6.1.1).
 Diagram the structure of a chloroplast, and contrast the light-dependent and light-independent
reactions that occur there (6.1.2).
 Describe what a photon is made of, and state in what way its energy is related to its wavelength
(6.2.1).
 List the five stages of the light-dependent reactions (6.2.2).
 Describe the function of the electron transport system (6.3.1).
 Define chemiosmosis, and state the function of ATP synthase (6.3.2).
 Differentiate between photosystems I and II (6.3.3).
 Describe the function of the Calvin cycle, and explain why it requires NADPH as well as ATP (6.4.1).
 Contrast C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis (6.5.1).

Photosynthesis (p. 106)

6.1 An Overview of Photosynthesis (p. 106; Text art pages 106–109)
A. The ultimate source of energy on earth is energy from the sun, and less than 1% of the energy
from sunlight is captured by plants in photosynthesis.
B. Mesophyll cells in plant leaves contain organelles called chloroplasts.
1. The interior of the chloroplast is made up of membranes organized into flattened sacs
called thylakoids and a fluid substance called stroma.
2. Thylakoids are often grouped into stacks called grana.
3. Chlorophyll pigments are located in the thylakoids and are grouped together in a light-
capturing network called a photosystem.
4. When light waves of the correct wavelength strike chlorophyll molecules in the
photosystem, energy is passed from one chlorophyll molecule to the next until it is
eventually transferred to a key chlorophyll molecule touching a membrane-bound
protein.
5. The chlorophyll transfers a high-energy electron to the acceptor molecule it is touching,
the electron is then passed along a series of proteins, and its energy is used to make
molecules such as ATP and NADPH.
C. Overall, photosynthesis occurs in three stages: (1) sunlight energy capture; (2) making ATP
from the energy; and (3) using ATP to manufacture organic compounds from carbon dioxide.
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 D. The first two stages are the light-dependent reactions, and the third involves the Calvin cycle,
or light-independent reactions.
6.2 How Plants Capture Energy from Sunlight (p. 110; Figs. 6.1–6.4)
A. Light consists of tiny packets called photons.
B. We perceive photons of energy only in the visible light range of the entire electromagnetic
spectrum.
1. Pigments are molecules capable of absorbing light.
2. Retinal, the pigment in human eyes, can absorb light in the violet to red range of visible
light.
C. Pigments and Photosystems
1. Plant pigments, such as chlorophyll, also absorb and capture light energy.
2. In plants, the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis occur on membranes in the
chloroplasts, within photosystems.
3. A photosystem is a network of pigment molecules and proteins on the surface of a
photosynthetic membrane.
4. The photosystem channels energy to a specific chlorophyll a molecule, called the
reaction center chlorophyll, which passes the energy, in the form of an excited electron,
out of the photosystem.
D. Using Two Photosystems
1. Plants and algae employ two photosystems in series, photosystems I and II, which use
the electron energy to reduce NADP+ to NADPH with enough left over to make ATP.
6.3 How Photosystems Convert Light to Chemical Energy (p. 112; Figs. 6.5, 6.6)
A. Photosystem II
1. In photosystem II, energy from light is captured by the antenna complex, the portion of
the photosystem that contains the pigment molecules.
2. The energy is funneled to the reaction center chlorophyll molecule, which gives up an
excited electron to the electron transport system.
3. An enzyme splits water, and oxygen is released while the electrons from water are used
to replace those that were boosted from the reaction center by sunlight.
B. Electron Transport System
1. The electron boosted from photosystem II is carried to photosystem I by a series of
electron carrier molecules.
2. One of the electron carrier molecules is a proton pump.
C. Making ATP: Chemiosmosis
1. Protons enter the thylakoid membranes at embedded proton pumps, causing a buildup of
protons in the thylakoid space.
2. Protons diffuse back out, down their concentration gradient, through special ATP
synthase channels, causing ADP to be phosphorylated to ATP.
D. Photosystem I: Making NADPH
1. The energized electron that entered the electron transport system from photosystem II
now arrives at photosystem I.
2. When photosystem I absorbs a photon of light, an electron from its reaction center is
boosted to an even higher energy level.
3. Electrons from photosystem I enter an electron transport system and are used to form
NADPH.
E. Products of the Light-Dependent Reactions
1. The products ATP and NADPH are passed on to the Calvin Cycle.
6.4 Building New Molecules (p. 114; Essential Biological Process 6A)
A. The Calvin Cycle
1. In C3 photosynthesis, plants use the Calvin cycle to assemble organic molecules, such as
glucose.
2. ATP drives the cycle and NADPH from photosystem I provides a source of hydrogens
and the energetic electrons needed to bind them to carbon atoms.

Photorespiration (p. 115)

6.5 Photorespiration: Putting the Brakes on Photosynthesis (p. 115; Figs. 6.7, 6.8)
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Education.
 A. Photorespiration short-circuits the production of glucose via the Calvin cycle in hot weather
when stomata are closed to conserve water.
1. When stomata are closed, O2 levels in leaves build up.
2. Rubisco, the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the Calvin cycle, will then bind O 2
instead of CO2, disrupting the Calvin cycle.
B. C4 Photosynthesis
1. C4 photosynthesis has evolved as a means by which plants can conserve carbon dioxide
when conditions are hot and dry.
2. In C4 photosynthesis, carbon fixation first occurs in the mesophyll cells, and then CO 2 is
regenerated in bundle sheath cells.
3. Because CO2 cannot leak out of the bundle sheath cells, the concentration of CO 2 builds
up, the Calvin cycle proceeds, and the rate of photorespiration is lowered.
C. CAM photosynthesis
1. In CAM plants, the C4 pathway occurs during the night, and then during the day the
carbon dioxide is released to the Calvin cycle.

KEY TERMS
 photosynthesis (p. 106)
 chlorophyll (p. 108)
 light-dependent reaction (p. 109)
 Calvin cycle (p. 109)
 light-independent reaction (p. 109)
 photon (p. 110)
 electromagnetic spectrum (p. 110)
 pigment (p. 110)
 photosystem (p. 110)
 electron transport system (p. 111)
 chemiosmosis (p. 113)
 C3 photosynthesis (p. 114)
 carbon fixation (p. 114)
 stomata (stoma) (p. 115)
 photorespiration (p. 115)
 C4 photosynthesis (p. 115)
 crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) (p. 115)

LECTURE SUGGESTION AND ENRICHMENT TIP

1. Photosynthesis Demonstration. Photosynthesis is easily demonstrated in the classroom using the
freshwater aquatic plants Elodea or Anacharis, which can usually be purchased inexpensively from
aquarium shops. Set up several pairs of test tubes, so that each small group of students has two test
tubes to work with. Have them fill each test tube half full of phenol red solution. Phenol red is a pH
indicator that turns red when its pH is 7 or more (the alkaline range) and changes to a pale yellow
when its pH is less than 7 (the acid range). Have two students in each group use straws to blow air into
their two test tubes until the phenol red turns yellow. They are adding carbon dioxide to the solution,
which makes it more acidic. Next, add a sprig of Elodea or Anacharis to one of each pair of test tubes,
leaving the other test tube with phenol red solution alone. Place the test tubes under lights (a desk lamp
will do) for 15 to 20 minutes. The Elodea rapidly begins to photosynthesize, using up the carbon
dioxide in the water. There should be a color change in the phenol red solution (it turns red again) after
the plant has used up enough carbon dioxide to raise the pH. Another indication that photosynthesis is
occurring can be seen by the tiny bubbles of oxygen that form in the test tubes containing the aquatic
plant sprigs.
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Education.
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Is it possible to genetically engineer plants to be more efficient at photosynthesis? What specific area
would be the best for scientists to pursue in this regard? Explain your answer.
2. Explain why a plant might switch to using one photosystem to produce additional molecules of ATP.

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Education.