BIOLOGY

PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1)Photosynthesis is the process by which all green plants containing
chlorophyll, produce food substances (glucose and starch) from carbondioxide
and water, by using light energy.
2) Importance of photosynthesis-a) Food for all (b) Oxygen to breathe.
3)Chloroplasts-cell organelles which contain chlorophyll.
-found in mesophyll cells of leaves, guard cells of stomata,
outer layers of young green stems.
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF LEAF

3) Structure of chloroplasts- consists of minute oval bodies bounded by

double-membrane structure having large number of flat sac-like
structures called thylakoids arranged in piles called grana lying in
colourless ground substance called stroma.

4) Chlorophyll- present in walls of thylakoids.

- Complex substance contains carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and
magnesium.
- Too much light destroys chlorophyll as it is highly sensitive
to light.
- Traps solar energy and converts it into chemical energy.

5) Regulation of stomatal opening for letting in carbondioxide :Stomata

are tiny opening found on the lower surface of leaves. Carbondioxide
enters the leaves through stomata for photosynthesis. The opening and
closing of stomata is controlled by guard cells.
During daytime, due to absorption of water by plants for photosynthesis, guard
cells become turgid resulting in the opening of stomata. But during night time,
as the guard cells lose turgidity, stomata closes.
Transpiration occurs along with photosynthesis. So we say, “Transpiration is
the price which the plant pays for photosynthesis”. Transpiration reduces only
when stomata closes at night.
POTASSIUM ION CONCENTRATION THEORY (recent): According to this
theory, stomatal opening and closing depends on the generation of potassium
ion gradient. During photosynthesis ATP produced by chloroplasts is used to
actively pump the potassium ions of the adjacent cells into guard cells.
Increased potassium concentration in the guard cells will help in drawing more
water from adjacent cells which in turn makes the guard cells turgid and
results in the opening of stomata. Reverse happens at night. Potassium ions
leak out reducing turgidity in guard cells and thus resulting in closing of
stomata.
6) Chemical equation to represent photosynthesis :
Sunlight
6Co2 + 12 H20 -----------------> C6H12 O6 + 6 H20 + 6O2
Chlorophyll

7) Two main phases of photosynthesis :

(1) Light dependent phase/Photochemical phase- occurs in thylakoids of
chloroplast. Reactions are dependent on light.
(2) Light-independent phase/Biosynthetic phase/Dark phase – occurs in
stroma of chloroplast. Reactions are not dependent on light.

8) LIGHT REACTION PHASE : has 2 main steps

(1) Activation of chlorophyll – Chlorophyll becomes activated in the
presence of light by absorbing photons.
(2) Photolysis – Splitting of water molecules into hydrogen ions and
oxygen in the presence of light and grana.
2H2o---------à 4H+ + 4e_ + o2
Hydrogen ions produced in light reaction get combined with NADP
(Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) to produce NADPH.
NADP+ + e_ + H+ --------------------à NADPH
 9) Photophosphorylation : Production of ATP molecules from ADP with
the help of light energy by adding one phosphate group P i ( inorganic
phosphate)
ADP+ PHOSPHATE ATP
10) Dark Phase: Involves transfer of hydrogen from NADPH through a
series of chemical reactions to combine with Co2 to produce glucose by
using energy from ATP.
11) The immediate product of photosynthesis is glucose which gets
converted into storable starch.
12) Polymerisation is a process in which several glucose molecules are
transformed to produce one molecule of starch.
13) Plants used for experiments on photosynthesis are kept in a dark
room to destarch the leaves before conducting the experiments. Iodine
solution is used to test for presence of starch in the leaf . If starch is
present, leaf turns bluish black.

14) Adaptations in leaf to perform photosynthesis—large surface

area, leaf arrangement, thinness of leaves, numerous stomata etc.

15) Three end-products of photosynthesis are glucose, water and

oxygen. Oxygen released during photosynthesis is from water
molecules.
16) Factors affecting photosynthesis :
1)External factors – light intensity, Co2 concentration, temperature and water
content.
1) Internal factors- chlorophyll, protoplasm, structure of leaf.

17) All food chains start from a producer of food, which is always some
green plant that synthesis food by photosynthesis.
18) Carbon cycle : is a series of chemical reactions in which Co2 of the
air is used by living organisms and finally returned into the air.

It involves 6 steps:
(1) Photosynthesis
(2) Food chains
(3) Respiration
(4) Decay
(5) Combustion
(6) heating of limestone.

ASSIGNMENT :
Name the following :-
1) The kind of plastids found in the mesophyll cells of the leaf.
2) The first form of food substance produced during photosynthesis.
3) The part of chloroplast where light reaction of photosynthesis takes
place.
4) The chemical substance used to test the presence of starch in a leaf.
5) The ground substance present in chloroplast.

A) Explain the following terms :-

1) Photosynthesis
2) Polymerisation
3) Photolysis
4) Photophosphorylation
5) Destarching

B) Differentiate between the following terms :-

1) Light and dark reactions(products formed)
2) Producers and consumers (mode of nutrition)
3) Respiration and photosynthesis (gas released)
4) Stroma and grana (function)
5) ATP AND NADP (Expand)

C) Give scientific reasons for the following :-

1) A tiger owes its existence to chlorophyll.
2) Green leaves are thin and broad.
3) Photosynthesis is a process which supports all life on earth.
4) Light reaction is called photochemical phase.
5) Chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis.