Capturing Light

Energy

The Light-Dependent Reactions

of Photosynthesis
 Light Absorption in
Chloroplasts
 Light Reactions: need sunlight; occur
in the thylakoids
 Pigment: a molecule that absorbs light

chlorophyll: absorb red and blue,

emit green (a and b)
accessory pigment: trap light that
chlorophyll cannot (carotenoids)
 Electron Transport
 Chlorophylls and carotenoids are
grouped in clusters referred to as a
photosystem. (There are two:
photosystem I and photosystem II)
 The light reactions begin when
accessory pigments in both
photosystems absorb light.
 What happens next?
 These molecules acquire energy from
the light and pass it to other pigment
molecules until it reaches a pair of
chlorophyll a molecules.
 Step one of electron
transfer
 1. Light energy forces electrons to
enter a higher energy level in the two
chlorophyll a molecules of
photosystem II. (The electrons are
“excited”)
 Step two of electron
transfer
 2. The excited electrons leave the
chlorophyll a molecules. They go to a
primary electron acceptor (which is
right next to the photosystem in the
thylakoid membrane.)
 Step three of electron
transfer
 3. The primary e- acceptor donates
the e- to an electron transport chain.
This chain is also embedded in the
thylakoid membrane. As the electrons
go down this chain, they lose energy
and this energy is used to move
protons (H+) into the thylakoid.
 Step four of electron
transport
 4. Light is absorbed by photosystem I
at the same time. It loses e- (because
they are excited) and they move
through a different electron transport
chain.
 Note: The electrons lost by
photosystem I are replaced by
electrons from photosystem II.
 Step five of electron
transport
 5. The e- transport chain of PS I
brings the electrons to the side of the
thylakoid that faces the stroma.
These electrons combine with a proton
(H+) and NADP+ to form NADPH.
NADPH will be used in the next set of
reactions.
Restoring Photosystem
II
 Electrons “lost” from photosystem II
are replaced by electrons from water.
Water is split (called hydrolysis) and
the electrons go to PSII and oxygen
gas is released.