Chapter 10

Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis Occurs in Chloroplasts

Stoma – Gas
Exchange in Leaves

Chloroplasts are found mainly

in mesophyll cells
 Photosynthesis
Occurs in
Chloroplasts
 Chloroplasts
 Innerand Outer
Membrane
 Stroma
 Fluid surrounding
thylakoids
 Grana
 Stacks of thylakoid
membranes
Photosynthesis
 Overall equation:
 6CO2 + 6H20  C6H12O6 + 6O2
 Glucose is made from CO2 (air)
 Oxygen given off during splitting of water
2 Stages
Light Reaction Calvin Cycle
 Light and water taken in  CO2 taken in
 NADP+ and ADP needed  ATP and NADPH
 Reduced to ATP and needed
NADPH  Oxydized to NADP+ and
 O2 given off as byproduct ADP
 Sugar produced (G3P)
 The Light Reactions
Overview
 Light reactions convert
solar energy to
chemical energy
 Water is split
 Electronsfrom H2O travel
down electron transport
chain
 ATP produced by
Chemiosmosis
 NADP+ reduced  NADPH
 O2 given off
Calvin Cycle Overview
 CO2 is assimilated
into organic molecule
(carbon fixation)
 Fixed carbon is
reduced to
carbohydrate
 Energy from ATP
 Electrons (reducing
power) from NADPH
Pigments in Chloroplasts Absorb Visible
Light
 Chlorophyll A – Blue
Green reflected
 Chlorophyll B –
Yellow Green
reflected
 Accessory Pigments
– other wavelengths
 Carotenoids
–
Yellow/Orange
 Chlorophyll is Excited by Light
 Light: Electromagnetic radiation
 Behaves as waves and photons (energy packets)
 Pigments absorb photons of light
 Electrons “jump” to orbital with greater
potential energy. Now in an excited state.
 When electron “falls” back down to lower
energy level, energy is given off
 Light (fluorescence)
 Heat
 Work*
 Photosystems in the
Thylakoids
Harvest Light Energy
 Photosystems
 Chlorophyll, proteins
 Antenna for reaction center

 Collect and focus light

energy, pass from
chlorophyll  chlorophyll 
reaction center
 Reaction Center
2 molecules of chlorophyll a
 Primary electron acceptor
Photon of light hits pigment,
energy is passed along to reaction
center. At RC and excited e- from
special chlorophyll is captured by
primary e- acceptor
 Photosystem II (Comes First)
1. Photon strikes pigment
molecule. Energy
passed along.
2. Electron passed to
primary electron
acceptor.
3. Water molecule is split
2e- + 2H + O
1. Electrons replace lost
electrons in special
chlorophyll
2. 2 oxygens combine, lost as
gas
3. H contribute to
concentration gradient
across thylakoid membrane
Non-Cyclic Electron Flow
What happens after Photosystem II?
 Non-Cyclic
Electron Flow

4. Photoexcited e- move
from PSII to PSI down an
electron transport chain
5. This fuels ATP synthesis
6. Light hits and excites e- in PSI. When electron from
PSII reaches PSI, it fills a “hole” caused by light
exciting RC of PSI
7. Photoexcited e- from PSI falls down a second
transport chain
8. This electron is used to reduce NADP+ (final e-
acceptor)
Cyclic Electron Flow
 Occurs when
NADPH builds
up in stroma
 Negative
feedback
 Produces
more ATP,
but no
NADPH
 Chemiosmosis – A review

 In chloroplasts and mitochondria

 Proteins in a membrane arranged from low  high
electronegativity
 Electrons “fall” down toward a final e- acceptor
 H+ ions pumped across membrane as e- fall
 H+ diffuse down a concentration gradient, through ATP
synthase enzyme
 ATP synthase performs oxydative phosphorylation to reduce
ADP  ATP
Chemiosmosis – Using membranes to
couple redox to ATP synthesis
 In Mitochondria
 Energy and e- come
from food molecules
 H+ pumped into IMS,
diffuse into matrix
 In chloroplasts
 Energy from Sun, e-
from water
 H+ pumped into
thylakoid, diffuse into
stroma (location of
Calvin cycle)
Chemiosmosis in Light Reactions
Be the narrator: explain this picture to your neighbor

 Summarize LR
 Calvin Cycle

 CO2 taken in
 Fixedto RuBP by
enzyme Rubisco
 Major steps
 Carbon fixation
 Reduction 3 CO2
 1G3P
 Regeneration of
RuBP
 Calvin Cycle
Energy
Accounting
 To make 1 G3P
 9 ATP
 6 NADPH
 The fate of G3P
 Sugars used for energy
 Synthesis of organic molecules
(carbon skeleton, building blocks)
 Cellulose
 Fatty acids, amino acids
 Extra sugars stored as starch
Photorespiration
Hot dry days, plants partly close stomata
•Minimize water loss via transpiration
•Also reduces intake of CO2, and removal
of O2
•In high concentrations, O2 can be fixed
into Calvin cycle by rubisco.
•Results in photorespiration: Uses energy
to make a 2-C compound that is broken
down, CO2 released as waste
- Carbon lost
- Energy used
- no known benefit to plants
- possibly an evolutionary relic –
when atmosphere had little O2, no
benefit for Rubisco differentiating
C4 Plants –
Adaptations
against
photorespiration
 To avoid fixation of O2 by rubisco
 Calvin cycle takes place in bundle
sheath cells
 Carbon fixed in mesophyll cells by
another enzyme (non rubisco)
 Forms a 4-C molecule: oxaloacetate
 4-C product is then moved into bundle
sheath cell through plasmodesmata
 CO2 released, enters the Calvin Cycle
 Adaptations Against Photorespiration
 C4 Plants separate
carbon fixation from the
Calvin Cycle by location
 CAM plants also have
an adaptation to avoid
photorespiration; they
separate these 2
phases by time.
 Carbon is fixed at night
when stomata are open
 Calvin cycle occurs during
the day
Photosynthesis Summary