Photosynthesis and

Cellular Respiration
Outline

I. Photosynthesis
A. Introduction
B. Reactions
II. Cellular Respiration
A. Introduction
B. Reactions
Photosynthesis

 Method of converting sun energy into chemical

energy usable by cells
 Autotrophs: self feeders, organisms capable of
making their own food
– Photoautotrophs: use sun energy e.g. plants
photosynthesis-makes organic compounds (glucose)
from light
– Chemoautotrophs: use chemical energy e.g.
bacteria that use sulfide or methane
chemosynthesis-makes organic compounds from
chemical energy contained in sulfide or methane
Photosynthesis

 Photosynthesis takes place in specialized

structures inside plant cells called chloroplasts
– Light absorbing pigment molecules e.g. chlorophyll
Overall Reaction

 6CO2 + 12 H2O + light

energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2+ 6H2O
 Carbohydrate made is glucose
 Water appears on both sides because 12 H2O molecules
are required and 6 new H2O molecules are made
 Water is split as a source of electrons from hydrogen
atoms releasing O2 as a byproduct
 Electrons increase potential energy when moved from
water to sugar therefore energy is required
Light-dependent Reactions

 Overview: light energy is absorbed by

chlorophyll molecules-this light energy excites
electrons and boosts them to higher energy
levels. They are trapped by electron acceptor
molecules that are poised at the start of a
neighboring transport system. The electrons
“fall” to a lower energy state, releasing energy
that is harnessed to make ATP
Energy Shuttling

 Recall ATP: cellular energy-nucleotide based

molecule with 3 phosphate groups bonded to it,
when removing the third phosphate group, lots of
energy liberated= superb molecule for
shuttling energy around within cells.
 Other energy shuttles-coenzymes (nucleotide
based molecules): move electrons and protons
around within the cell
NADP+, NADPH NAD+, NADP FAD, FADH2
Light-dependent Reactions

 Photosystem: light capturing unit, contains chlorophyll,

the light capturing pigment
 Electron transport system: sequence of electron
carrier molecules that shuttle electrons, energy released
to make ATP
 Electrons in chlorophyll must be replaced so that cycle
may continue-these electrons come from water
molecules, Oxygen is liberated from the light reactions
 Light reactions yield ATP and NADPH used to fuel the
reactions of the Calvin cycle (light independent or dark
reactions)
Calvin Cycle (light independent or
“dark” reactions)

 ATP and NADPH generated in light reactions

used to fuel the reactions which take CO2 and
break it apart, then reassemble the carbons into
glucose.
 Called carbon fixation: taking carbon from an
inorganic molecule (atmospheric CO2) and
making an organic molecule out of it (glucose)
 Simplified version of how carbon and energy
enter the food chain
Harvesting Chemical Energy

 So we see how energy enters food chains (via

autotrophs) we can look at how organisms use
that energy to fuel their bodies.
 Plants and animals both use products of
photosynthesis (glucose) for metabolic fuel
 Heterotrophs: must take in energy from outside
sources, cannot make their own e.g. animals
 When we take in glucose (or other carbs),
proteins, and fats-these foods don’t come to
us the way our cells can use them
Cellular Respiration Overview

 Transformation of chemical energy in food into

chemical energy cells can use: ATP
 These reactions proceed the same way in plants
and animals. Process is called cellular
respiration
 Overall Reaction:
– C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O
Cellular Respiration Overview

 Breakdown of glucose begins in the cytoplasm:

the liquid matrix inside the cell
 At this point life diverges into two forms and two
pathways
– Anaerobic cellular respiration (aka fermentation)
– Aerobic cellular respiration
C.R. Reactions

 Glycolysis
– Series of reactions which break the 6-carbon glucose
molecule down into two 3-carbon molecules called
pyruvate
– Process is an ancient one-all organisms from simple
bacteria to humans perform it the same way
– Yields 2 ATP molecules for every one glucose
molecule broken down
– Yields 2 NADH per glucose molecule
Anaerobic Cellular Respiration

 Some organisms thrive in environments with little or no

oxygen
– Marshes, bogs, gut of animals, sewage treatment ponds
 No oxygen used= ‘an’aerobic
 Results in no more ATP, final steps in these pathways
serve ONLY to regenerate NAD+ so it can return to pick
up more electrons and hydrogens in glycolysis.
 End products such as ethanol and CO2 (single cell fungi
(yeast) in beer/bread) or lactic acid (muscle cells)
Aerobic Cellular Respiration

 Oxygen required=aerobic
 2 more sets of reactions which occur in a
specialized structure within the cell called the
mitochondria
– 1. Kreb’s Cycle
– 2. Electron Transport Chain
Kreb’s Cycle

 Completes the breakdown of glucose

– Takes the pyruvate (3-carbons) and breaks it down,
the carbon and oxygen atoms end up in CO2 and H2O
– Hydrogens and electrons are stripped and loaded onto
NAD+ and FAD to produce NADH and FADH2
 Production of only 2 more ATP but loads up
the coenzymes with H+ and electrons which
move to the 3rd stage
Electron Transport Chain

 Electron carriers loaded with electrons and

protons from the Kreb’s cycle move to this chain-
like a series of steps (staircase).
 As electrons drop down stairs, energy released
to form a total of 32 ATP
 Oxygen waits at bottom of staircase, picks up
electrons and protons and in doing so becomes
water
Energy Tally

 36 ATP for aerobic vs. 2 ATP for anaerobic

– Glycolysis 2 ATP

– Kreb’s 2 ATP

– Electron Transport 32 ATP

36 ATP
 Anaerobic organisms can’t be too energetic but
are important for global recycling of carbon