Photosynthesis

Photosythesis

 The process by which green plants produce glucose and oxygen from carbon
dioxide and water.
 Balanced Equation: 6CO2 +6H2O + Light Chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6O2
 Green pigment (chlorophyll) acts as a catalyst.
 Cells need energy to carry out reactions. This energy comes from the breakdown
of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
 Light energy is used to make ATP. This is then used to supply energy to make
glucose.
 This glucose can be used by the plant to re-from ATP later on.
 Animals consume glucose from plants and convert it to ATP.
Role of Photosynthesis

 Plants use it to make food.

 Animals get their food from plants.
 It produces oxygen most living things require to get energy in respiration
 Responsible for making fossil fuels
Events of Photosynthesis

1. Light is absorbed.
 Sunlight is trapped by chlorophyll found in chloroplasts
 Provides energy plant needs to make glucose
2. Water is split.
 Some trapped sunlight is used in the chloroplast to split water molecules
 When two water molecules split, they form 4 protons(H+), 4 electrons(e-) and a molecule of O2
3. The products of the splitting of water.
 Electrons are passed to chlorophyll
 Protons are released into a storage pool of protons in the chloroplast for later use
 Oxygen may pass from the chloroplast or may be used within the cells of the leaf
4. Light energises electrons
 Some of the sunlight energy trapped in chlorophyll is passed on to electrons in chlorophyll to from high-energy electrons.
5. Glucose is formed
 High energy electrons from chlorophyll and protons combine with carbon dioxide to form glucose C6H12O6
Sources of light carbon dioxide and water
for photosynthesis
 Light-Sunlight
 Carbon Dioxide: Internal Produced by respiration
External – Enters from the air
 Water – absorbed from the soil through the roots – passes up through plant stem
and into the leaves
Increasing the rate of photosynthesis

 Artificial Light sources

 Artificial sources of carbon dioxide e.g. burning gas. Used in greenhouses to
enhance carbon dioxide concentrations and thus increase crop growth
Detailed Photosynthesis

 Light stage:
 Dependent on light
 Energy provided by light allows reactions to proceed
 Reactions occur very quickly so no enzymes are required.
 Dark Stage:
 Independent of light
 Energy provided comes from ATP made in light stage.
 Enzymes control the reactions
Light Stage

 Takes place in chloroplast

 3 Headings: Light absorption
Light energy transferred to electrons
Electron Flow : Pathway 1 + 2
Light Stage

1. Light Absorption
 WHITE LIGHT – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
 Chloroplasts contain rage of pigments, including chlorophyll.
 Each pigment absorbs a different colour of light. Having a range of pigments
allows plants to ensure they have a range of colours of light
 They accept all colours of white light except green which is reflected.
 Light Stage
Light energy is transferred to electrons
 Pigments are arranged in clusters in chloroplast. These consists of
 Variety of pigments
 Strategically placed chlorophyll molecule
 Electron acceptor
 Strategically placed chlorophyll is placed in the reaction centre chlorophyll
 Different pigments absorb light energy of different wavelengths, in each cluster. The function of the cluster
is to absorb as much light as possible