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Topics: 1. What are the key pigments involved in photosynthesis? 2. Where & how does photosynthesis take place?
How much plant biomass (in kg) does it take to produce 1 Kg of beef biomass?
How much plant biomass (in Kg) does it take to produce 1Kg of beef biomass? Each year, 41 million tons of plant protein is fed to U.S. livestock to produce an estimated 7 million tons of animal protein for human consumption. Thus for every kilogram of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed nearly 6 kg of plant protein. Whats the ratio?
Photosynthesis Overview
A series of biochemical rxns by which plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, transforming carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
The chemical rxns are the same in all plants, algae and Cyanobacteria
Photosynthesis in bacteria is different than in plants & not as efficient (theres no glucose & oxygen produced)
6H2O + 6CO2
WATER CARBON DIOXIDE
C6H12O6 + 6O2
GLUCOSE OXYGEN
6H2O + 6CO2
WATER CARBON DIOXIDE
C6H12O6 + 6O2
GLUCOSE OXYGEN
Whats Required
6H2O + 6CO2
WATER CARBON DIOXIDE
C6H12O6 + 6O2
GLUCOSE OXYGEN
Whats Required
Whats Produced
6H2O + 6CO2
WATER CARBON DIOXIDE
C6H12O6 + 6O2
GLUCOSE OXYGEN
2) Carotenoids:
a) Act as antioxidants, protect against ROS; are yellow, orange, red in color b) There are 2 types of carotenoids Carotenes; e.g. beta-carotene, lycopene; essential for good health; do not contain oxygen Xanthophylls, yellow, also good for health, contain oxygen
Bee pollen is rich in xanthophyll; carrots are rich in carotene
Chlorophyll a & b absorb light energy in the blue and red wavelengths of light; carotenoids in the blue & green Chlorophyll a absorbs at 450 nm and 675 nm Chlorophyll b absorbs at 470 nm and 640 nm
Chlorophyll a & b absorb light energy in the blue and red wavelengths of light; carotenoids in the blue & green Note: Plant leaves appear green because chlorophyll reflects green wavelengths of light; pigments look the color of the wavelengths they reflect not absorb
It has been known since the late 1880s that oxygen production is caused by blue and red wavelengths of light
Engelmann Experiment Experiment by T.W. Engelmann in 1882 with a freshwater alga called Spirogyra showed oxygen was being produced in the blue & red wavelengths of light.
Remember - visible light is only a small portion of the entire electromagnetic spectrum
Long hydrocarbon tail is hydrophobic (& lipophillic) and anchors molecule in thylakoid membrane
Chlorophyll a
CHLOROPHYLL
NO OXYGEN!!!!
Both Pigments have: long hydrocarbon backbones but very different heads
BETA-CAROTENE
Chlorophyll a molecules embedded in thylakoid membrane
Chlorophyll & carotenoids can be easily extracted with organic solvents (eg acetone) and separated by paper chromatography
ISOLATING PIGMENTS VIA PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY
1.
Grind leaf, add 2. Spot pigments organic solvent on filter paper. like acetone, pigment molecules move from leaf tissue into solvent.
So which pigment (chlorophyll a or beta carotene) do you expect to be at the top of the paper? Which chlorophyll do you expect to be higher? Chlorophyll a
Figure 7.4b
Top Beta-Carotene
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
Other Carotenoids
5. What Pigments are Responsible for Autumn Fall foliage Coloration? - caused by breakdown of chlorophyll & dominance
of carotenoids & anthocyanins (reds & purples)
2) PS begins with the absorption of light energy (as photons) by chlorophyll molecules in Photosystem II, followed by the transfer of excited electrons to the Electron Transport Chain (ETC) & then to Photosystem I
3) Photosystem I and II are named in the order they were discovered
Chlorophyll b molecules
Phytoplankton blooms in the spring(bottom) can be tracked from satellites due to the flourescence of their chlorophyll
Some herbicides are designed to block electron flow down the 2 ETCs
Some herbicides, including DCMU (dichlorophenyldimethylurea) and paraquat, act by blocking the electron acceptors of the Electron Transport Chain connecting Photosystem II and I or Photosystem I and NADP.
What would be the benefit of such herbicides?
Some herbicides are designed to block electron flow down the 2 ETCs
Some herbicides, including DCMU (dichlorophenyldimethylurea) and paraquat, act by blocking the electron acceptors of the Electron Transport Chain connecting Photosystem II and I or Photosystem I and NADP.
What would be the benefit of such herbicides? They can not hurt animals.
Now know ATP is produced by process called chemiosmosis - the flow of H+ protons thru ATP synthase channels across an electrochemical (ie pH) gradient. How?
Remember - the Light Rxns molecules are embedded in the thylakoid membrane
The Light Rxns molecules are embedded as close together in clusters in the thylakoid membrane & make up one photosynthetic unit
Chemiosmosis in chloroplasts
1). As H2O is oxidized, H+ ions (protons) are released into the thylakoid lumen. Also, protons in the Stroma are pumped into the lumen, making it lower in pH or more acidic and resulting in an electrochemical gradient across the thylakoid membrane ( eg pH 6 inside vs 8 outside)
Chemiosmosis in chloroplasts
2). Protons flow against the electrochemical gradient and across the membrane thru ATP synthase channels. As they do, ADP is phosphorylated to ATP on the stroma side of the membrane. The process is also called photophosphorylation because a P is added to ADP and light was required.