Photosynthesis

Rafia Urooj Saman

2020-ag-937
Contents
• Introduction
• General Concepts
-Chloroplast
-Photosystem
• Mechanism of Photosynthesis
- Light Reaction
-Dark Reaction
• Limiting Factors
• Factors affecting the rate of Photosynthesis
-References
Introduction

• The term photosynthesis literally

means “synthesis using light.”
• Photosynthesis is to use solar energy
to synthesize carbon compounds e.g.,
carbohydrates from carbon dioxide
and water with the generation of
oxygen:
6 CO2+ 6 H2O C6H 12 O6+ 6 O2
Chloroplast-the Site of Photosynthesis

Chloroplast contains
1.Stroma – fluid
2.Grana – stacks of
thylakoid
3.Chlorophyll – a pigment
to capture light energy.
Photosystems
• Two Photochemical Complexes (Photosystems) present in the
chloroplast carry out the early energy storage reactions of
photosynthesis.
• Photosystem-I (P700): located at the stroma lamellae and absorbs the far-red
light of 700nm.
• Photosystem-II (P680): located in the grana lamellae and absorbs the red
light at 680nm.
• Each photosystem has its own antenna pigments and photochemical
reaction center.
• These photosystems are linked by an electron transport chain.
Photosystems
1. Antenna complex : Light energy is absorbed by the antenna complex
and is transferred to the reaction center, therefore also called Light
Harvesting Complex (LHC).The antenna system of PSI is called LHCI
and antenna system of PSII is called LHCII.

2. Reaction Center: It converts the light energy into chemical energy

and transfer it to Primary electron acceptor in the form of electrons (e- ).
Mechanism of Photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis is divided in to two steps:
1. Light dependent reactions: takes place in the thylakoid membranes
of chloroplast. The end products are ATP and NADPH produced in
the daylight.
2. Light Independent reactions: The products of light dependent
reactions are used for synthesis of sugars in the stroma of
chloroplast usually in the night.
 1. Light dependent/Thylakoid/
Hill’s Reaction
• Studied by Robert Hill
• In this reaction ATP and NDAPH are produced in the presence of
light.
• There are two types of electron transformation during light reactions
i. Non-cyclic Phosphorylation: is the formation of ATP during non-
cyclic flow of electrons.
ii. Cyclic Phosphorylation: is returning back of the same excited
electron to the excited chlorophyll by producing a molecule of ATP.
i. Non-cyclic Phosphorylation/Z-scheme
• The path of electrons through the two photosystems forms a Z shape
path therefore called Z-scheme or Zigzag.
• It consists of following steps
a- Excitation of electron at PS-II
b- Photolysis of Water
c- Electron Transport Chain involving PQ, Cytochromes and PC
d- Photosystem-I
e- Synthesis of NADPH2
 𝑃 700∗  
𝑃 680 ∗  
𝐹𝑑
𝑃h 𝑒𝑜
+¿¿
PQ 𝑁𝐴𝐷𝑃 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑒
Li ¿
𝑐 𝑦𝑡 𝑏 6 𝑓
Li 𝑁𝐴𝐷 𝑃 +¿+𝐻 ¿ 𝑁𝐴𝐷𝑃𝐻

𝐴𝐷𝑃 + 𝑃 𝑖
𝑃𝐶 𝑃 700
𝐴𝑇𝑃
𝑃 680
1
𝐻2 𝑂 +¿+ 𝑂2 ¿
2
2𝐻
ii- Cyclic Phosphorylation
• It is less common pathway of electron flow. It involves PS-I only.
• It consists of following steps:
a- Excitation of e- in PS-I
b- Fe-S protein
c- Ferredoxin (Fd)
d- Cytochromes complex
e- returning of e- back to P700
 𝑃 700∗  

𝐹𝑑

Li

𝑐 𝑦𝑡 𝑏 6 𝑓

𝑃𝐶𝑃 700
𝐴𝐷𝑃 + 𝑃 𝑖
𝐴𝑇𝑃
Chemiosmosis
• Mitchell (1961) proposed the mechanism of ATP synthesis in cyclic
and non-cyclic phosphorylation across H+ gradient as chemiosmosis.
 2. Carbon
Fixation/Calvin-Benson/C3/Light
Independent Reaction
• Studied by Calvin, Benson and coworkers.
• In this reaction carbohydrates, lipids or proteins are produced.
• It consists of three steps
i- Carbon fixation by RuBP
ii- Reduction of ATP and NADPH2
iii- Regeneration of RuBP
Limiting Factors
• Principle of limiting factors:
When many factors affect on a process the rate of the
process is limited by the pace of slowest factor ( Blackman, 1905).
• The factor that is lesser than required for the process is called slowest
factor.
Factors affecting Photosynthesis
• Many external and internal factors effect the rate of photosynthesis.
1. Light
2. Carbon Dioxide
3. Temperature
4. Water
5. Oxygen
6. Leaf anatomy
7. Chlorophyll content
Reference
• Taiz and Zeiger, Plant Physiology. 5th Edition.