Photosynthesis Part I:

Overview & The Light-Dependent Reactions

 Photosynthesis: The BIG Picture
• Photosynthesis is the process by which
AUTOTROPHS convert the energy in
SUNLIGHT into the energy stored in ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS.

light

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 Photosynthesis & Ecology
• The energy captured through photosynthesis
forms the basis of the ecological pyramid.
• The biomass that is generated
by producers supports nearly
all the living organisms on the
planet.
• Autotrophs capture energy
and “fix” it into organic
compounds; heterotrophs
consume compounds
produced by other organisms
to obtain energy.
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 Leaves:
The Photosynthetic Organs of Plants

• Leaves perform most of the photosynthesis in

plants. cuticle

upper epidermis

palisade mesophyll

spongy mesophyll

lower epidermis Xylem &

phloem
stoma Bundle-
sheath cells 4
 Leaves:
The Photosynthetic Organs of Plants

• Leaves have a LOT of surface area to facilitate

absorption of sunlight.

Are there any

drawbacks to leaves
having a large amount
of surface area? 5
 Chloroplast Structure: A Review
• In eukaryotes, photosynthesis takes place
inside chloroplasts inside cells (inside leaves).
• Chloroplasts have 3 membranes:
• Outer membrane
• Inner membrane
• Thylakoid membrane,
folded to form thylakoids
• Thylakoids are
arranged in stacks
called grana. Granum

• Chlorophyll and other pigments involved in photosynthesis

are embedded in the thylakoid membrane.
 Learning Target #10

I can describe the two photosynthetic

processes that allow organisms to
capture and store energy (light
dependent reactions and calvin cycle)

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 Photosynthesis: An Overview

• The net overall equation for photosynthesis is:

6 CO2 + 6 H2O light C6H12O6 + 6 O2

• Photosynthesis occurs in 2 “stages”:

1. The Light Reactions (or Light-Dependent Reactions)
2. The Calvin Cycle (or Calvin-Benson Cycle or Dark
Reactions or Light-Independent Reactions)
Is photosynthesis
an ENDERGONIC
or EXERGONIC
reaction? 8
 Photosynthesis: An Overview

• Follow the energy in photosynthesis,

Light light Calvin
Reactions Cycle
Organic
light ATP
compounds
thylakoids
NADPH (carbs)
stroma

Granum

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 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
• Putting it all together…
• The light reactions (light-dependent reactions)
transfer the energy in sunlight into chemical energy
in the form of ATP and NADPH, which are used to
power the Calvin Cycle.
• Light and water* are required for the light reactions
to occur (reactants).
• ATP, NADPH*, and oxygen gas (O2)* are produced
through the light reactions (products).
*Denotes items that are not produced
during cyclic phosphorylation
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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
• In the Calvin Cycle, chemical energy (from the
light reactions) and CO2 (from the atmosphere)
are used to produce organic compounds (like
glucose).
• The Calvin Cycle occurs in the stroma of
chloroplasts.

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 Learning Target #11

I can describe how light energy is

captured during light reactions

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 Light & Pigments
• Visible light is made up
of different colors of
light with different
wavelengths.
• Different wavelengths
have different amounts
of energy

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 Light & Pigments
• Pigments are molecules that
absorb light energy.
• Different pigments absorb light
of different wavelengths.
• Major photosynthetic pigments:
 Chlorophyll A ** main pigment
 Chlorophyll B
 Carotenoids
• Xanthophyll
• Carotenes
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Light & Pigments
What is the advantage
to having multiple
pigments? Which colors of light
are absorbed well?
Not well?

15
 Light & Pigments
What
information
does this
ABSORPTION
SPECTRUM tell
you?

What
information
does this
ACTION
SPECTRUM tell
you?

16
 Photosystems
• A reaction-center complex
surrounded by light-harvesting
complexes
• Reaction center organized association
of proteins containing a pair of
chlorophyll a molecules
• Light- harvesting complex consists of
pigment molecules bound to proteins
• Collects energy over a broad range of
wavelength and concentrate it to a
reaction center
• Found in thylakoid membrane

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 Excitation of Chlorophyll A by Light
•  When a pigment molecule absorbs a photon, the energy is
transferred from pigment molecule to pigment molecule
within a light-harvesting complex until it is passed into the
reaction-center complex.
• The pair of chlorophyll a molecules in the reaction-center
actually lose an electron when excited, passing it to another molecule
in the complex called the primary electron acceptor. With this
transfer, the electron will begin its journey through an electron
transport chain..

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 Learning Target #12

I can explain how light energy is

transformed into chemical energy of
NADPH

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 Electron Flow

• Light drives the synthesis of ATP

and NADPH by energizing the two
photosystems embedded in the thylakoid
membranes of chloroplasts.
• The key to this energy transformation is a flow
of electrons through the photosystems and
other molecular components built into the
thylakoid membrane. 

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 NADP+

• Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

• Electron Acceptor / electron carrier
• Carries energized electron
• It is reduced / RIG – reduced is to gain electron

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 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
• The light reactions of photosynthesis involve the
use of 2 photosystems:
• Photosystem II (P680)
• Absorbs light best at a wavelength of 680nm
• Photosystem I (P700)
• Absorbs light best at a wavelength of 700nm

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 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
1. Photosystem II a group of pigment molecules absorbs the energy in a
photon [a particle of light], exciting an electron to a higher energy
level.
2. The excited or energized electron is transferred to the primary
electron acceptor
• Thus, PSII is now 1 electron SHORT of what it needs.
3. This electron is replaced by photolysis – the splitting of water using
light.
• O2 is released as a byproduct.

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 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
4. The excited electron travels down the electron transport chain,
made of increasingly electronegative cytochromes, “losing energy”
as it goes. This energy is used to build a concentration gradient of
protons used during chemiosmosis.
5. the same time, Photosystem I [another group of pigment
molecules] also absorbs light energy, exciting one of ITS electrons
to a higher energy level.

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 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
The electron lost from Photosystem I is replaced by the electron
that was excited and subsequently lost from Photosystem II.
7. The excited electron from Photosystem I travels down another
electron transport chain, “losing energy” as it goes, and
ultimately REDUCES NADP+ to NADPH [an electron carrier].

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 Learning Target #13

I can explain how light energy is

transformed into ATP through the
process of photophosphorylation

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 ATP
What are the 3
parts of an ATP
molecule?
ADENINE

3 PHOSPHATE GROUPS

Why is ATP so
unstable?

How is ATP used to RIBOSE

do cellular work?
 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
• Protons (H+) are pumped from the STROMA
into the THYLAKOID SPACE, across the
thylakoid membrane.
• This builds up a concentration of H+ in the thylakoid space.
• This concentration gradient represents What does the
word “pumped”
POTENTIAL ENERGY.
imply?
• In chemiosmosis, protons diffuse back to the
stroma through ATP synthase.
• This is known as the proton motive force.
• This causes ATP synthase to spin (like a turbine) and
forces ADP and a phosphate group together.
• This forms ATP! Where did the
energy come from
to do this? 28
 Chemiosmosis - is the movement of ions across a
semipermeable membrane, down their electrochemical gradient

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 H+ H+ H+
H +
H +
H+
ADP
ATP
H+ P

ma
o
str e-

NADP+
NADPH
e- AT
Photosystem I synt P
hase
id m II (P700)
ko st e
yla rane to s y 54000 e --
th Pho (P680)
9900
50 9 e-
e mb
m id
- --
e09 ee
ko 0
54500
9
090
yla
th
p ace H+ H+
s
H H
H+
O H+ H+
H+
H+
e-
H+ O H+ (2 H+ & ½ O2)
Phase 1: The Light Reactions

Light-Reactions Animation
 Phase 1: The Light Reactions
• Quick recap:
• In the light reactions, the energy in LIGHT is used
to excite electrons to make ATP (through
chemiosmosis) and produce NADPH (an electron
carrier) to power the Calvin Cycle.
• The light reactions occur in/across the thylakoid
membrane inside the chloroplasts (inside the
cells…)
• Light and water are required (reactants).
• Oxygen, ATP, and NADPH are produced (products).
 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
• The Calvin Cycle involves the process of
carbon fixation.
• This is the process of assimilating carbon from a
non-organic compound (ie. CO2) and incorporating
it into an organic compound (ie. carbohydrates).

CARBON FIXATION

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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
Step 1: Carbon Fixation
• 3 molecules of CO2 (from the atmosphere)
are joined to 3 molecules of RuBP (a 5-carbon
sugar) by Rubisco (an enzyme also known as
RuBP carboxylase) This forms 3
C C C C
molecules
C C
which each
have 6 carbons
C Rubisco C C C C C (for a total of 18
carbons!)
C C C C C C
3 carbon dioxide
3 RuBP molecules
molecules
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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
Where did the NADPH and
Step 2: Reduction ATP come from to do this?
• The three 6-carbon molecules (very unstable)
split in half, forming six 3-carbon molecules.
• These molecules are then reduced by gaining
electrons from NADPH.
• ATP is required for this molecular rearranging
C C C C ATP ADP P C C C C C C
C C

C C C C C C C C C C C C

C C C C C C C C C C C C
NADPH
NADP+
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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
Where did these 3 extra
carbons come from?
• There are now six 3-carbon molecules, which
are known as G3P or PGAL.
• Since the Calvin Cycle started with 15 carbons
(three 5-carbon molecules) and there are now
18 carbons, we have a net gain of 3 carbons.
• One of these “extra” 3- C C C C C C
carbon G3P/PGAL
C C C C C
molecules will exit the C

cycle and be used to form C C C C C C

½ a glucose molecule.
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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle

• Once the Calvin Cycle “turns” twice (well,

actually 6 times), those 2 molecules of G3P (a
3-carbon carbohydrate) will combine to form 1
molecule of glucose (a 6-carbon carbohydrate
molecule) OR another organic compound.

C C C C C C C C C C C C
G3P G3P
(from 3 turns of (from 3 turns of glucose
the Calvin Cycle) the Calvin Cycle)

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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
Where does the ATP
Step 3: Regeneration of RuBP come from to do this?
• Since this is the Calvin Cycle, we must end up
back at the beginning.
• The remaining 5 G3P molecules (3-carbons
each!) get rearranged (using ATP) to form 3
RuBP molecules (5-carbons each).
C C C C C C

C C C C C C

C C C ATP
ADP
5 G3P molecules 3 RuBP molecules
Total: 15 carbons P Total: 15 carbons 39
 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
CO2

Ru
bi
sc
o
RuBP
NADPH
ATP

NADP+
ADP
P
ORGANIC
COMPOUND
Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle

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 Phase 2: The Calvin Cycle
Quick recap:
•In the Calvin Cycle, energy and electrons from the
Light Reactions (in the form of ATP and NADPH) and
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are used to
produce organic compounds.
•The Calvin Cycle occurs in the stroma inside the
chloroplasts (inside the cells…).
•Carbon dioxide, ATP, and NADPH are required
(reactants).
•Organic compounds (G3P) are produced (products).
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 Photosynthesis: A Recap

• So, as a broad overview of photosynthesis,

• The Light Reactions (Phase 1) capture the energy
in sunlight and convert it to chemical energy in
the form of ATP and NADPH through the use of
photosystems, electron transport chains, and
chemiosmosis.
• The Calvin Cycle (Phase 2) uses the energy
transformed by the light reactions along with
carbon dioxide to produce organic compounds.

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 Photosynthesis: A Recap
Based on this equation,
The photosynthetic equation: how could the rate of
photosynthesis be
Provides the carbon to measured?
produce organic The organic compound
compounds during the ultimately produced
Calvin Cycle during the Calvin Cycle
light
6 H2 O 6 CO2 6 O2 C6H12O6

Split during the Produced as a

light reactions Excites byproduct of the
to replace electrons
splitting of
electrons lost during the water during the
from light light reactions
Photosystem II reactions
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 Photosynthesis: A Recap

• Photosynthesis Animation
(click on “Animation” after clicking the link)

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Photophosphorylation Animation

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Tracing Pathway of CO2

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Where, oh where does the O2 come from?

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Chemiosmotic Mechanism

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 In Review
Click on the hyperlink below and choose
“Animation” to begin the review.

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/bc/bc_0media_bio
/bioflix/bioflix.htm?c7ephotosynthesis

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Created by:

Cheryl Boggs
Richmond, VA