Light

Dependen
t
Reactions

What is Light Dependent

Reaction?
The

series ofbiochemicalreactions in
photosynthesisthat requirelight energy
that is captured by light-absorbing
pigments (such aschlorophyll) to be
converted intochemical energyin the
form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide phosphate).

What is Light Dependent

Reaction?
Light

Dependent Reaction is one of

the two parts of photosynthesis, the
other being the Light Independent
Reaction (Calvin Cycle). It is the first
stage of photosynthesis.

How Light Dependent Reaction

Work :
The

overall function of light-dependent

reactions, the first stage
ofphotosynthesis, is to convert
solarenergyintochemical energyin the
form of NADPH andATP, which are used
inlight-independent reactionsand fuel
the assembly of sugarmolecules.

 Inphotosynthesis,

thelightdependent reactionstake place on

thethylakoid membranes. The inside of
the thylakoid membrane is called
thelumen, and outside the thylakoid
membrane is thestroma, where the
light-independent reactions take place.

The thylakoid membrane contains

someintegral membrane proteincomplexes
that catalyze the light reactions. There are
four major protein complexes in the
thylakoid membrane:Photosystem II
(PSII),Cytochrome b6f complex,
Photosystem I(PSI), andATP synthase.
These four complexes work together to
ultimately create the products ATP and
NADPH.

 Cytochrome

b6f and ATP synthase work

together to create ATP. This process is
called photophosphorylation, which
occurs in two different ways.

These

are the non-cyclic and cyclic.

 In

non-cyclic photophosphorylation, cytochrome b6f

uses the energy of electrons from PSII to pump
protons from the stroma to the lumen. The proton
gradient across the thylakoid membrane creates a
proton-motive force, used by ATP synthase to form
ATP. In cyclic photophosphorylation, cytochrome b6f
uses the energy of electrons from not only PSII but
also PSI to create more ATP and to stop the
production of NADPH.

Cyclic

phosphorylation is important to create ATP and

maintain NADPH in the right proportion for the lightindependent reactions.

The Light Dependent Reaction Model

The Light Dependent Reaction Model

The Process

ATP and NADPH

ATP

(Adenosine triphosphate) is the high

energy molecule that stores the energy
that we need. It is present in the
cytoplasm and nucleoplasm of every
cell, and essentially all the physiological
mechanisms that require energy for
operation.

ATP and NADPH

NADPH

(Nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide phosphate) is used to help
turn the carbon dioxide into glucose. It
is used as reducing power for the
biosynthetic reactions in theCalvin
cycleto assimilate carbon dioxide.

Key Points

Light energy splits water and extracts electrons in

photosystem II (PSII); then electrons are moved from PSII
to cytochrome b6f to photosystem I (PSI) and reduce in
energy.
Electrons are re-energized in PSI and those high energy
electrons reduce NADP+to NADPH.
In non-cyclic photophosphorylation, cytochrome b6f uses
the energy of electrons from PSII to pump hydrogen ions
from the lumen to the stroma; this energy allows ATP
synthase to attach a third phosphate group to ADP,
which forms ATP.
In cyclic photophosphorylation, cytochrome b6f uses the
energy of electrons from both PSII and PSI to create more
ATP and to stop the production of NADPH, maintaining
the right proportions of NADPH and ATP.