Photosynthesis:

Light Reaction Events

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 What is photosynthesis?

•Light energy is
converted into
chemical energy
stored is sugar and
other molecules.
Acquiring Energy

•Autotrophic nutrition
-auto means “self”.
-can produce their own food without
the help of any other organisms.
Ex.
*all plants.
-Photoautotrophs; organisms that
use light as a source of energy to
synthesize organic substances.
 Acquiring Energy
Autotrophic nutrition
-auto means “self”.
-can produce their own food
without the help of any other
organisms.
Ex.
*all plants.
-Photoautotrophs; organisms
that use light as a source of
energy to synthesize organic
substances.
 Acquiring Energy
•Heterotrophic nutrition
-hetero means “other”.
-trophos means “feed”
-unable to make their own food.
Ex.
*fungi, prokaryotes and
humans.
 Plant Cell Chloroplasts
•Plant cells have different types of plastids that
can harvest solar energy, store nutrients, and
manufacture nutrient molecules.
•The most common type of plastids is the
chloroplasts.
•Chloroplasts – are found mainly in the cells of
the mesophyll, the tissue in the interior leaf.
- this layer contains tiny openings called stomata.
- also have a double membrane: inner membrane
and outer membrane
•The inner membrane holds a thick fluid called stroma.
•Tiny disc-shaped interconnected membranous sacs
called thylakoids.
•Thylakoids enclose another internal compartment
called thylakoid space.
•Thyakoid sacs are stacked in columns called grana
(singular : granum).
•Light absorbing molecules called photosystems are
also embedded in the thylakoid membrane.
 LIGHT DEPENDING
REACTION
•The sun emits energy through electromagnetic radiation.
This electromagnetic radiation exists in various wavelengths.
•One type emitted by the sun is visible light, while another
type includes X-rays and ultraviolet radiation that can be
harmful.
•Some organisms like green plants, algae, and
cyanobacteria contain chlorophyll a pigment which is
responsible for photosynthesis.
•Photosynthetic plants have a mixture of different pigments in
their leaves giving plant flexibility in absorbing energy from a
wide range of visible light wavelengths.
 1.
•The reaction starts in a collection of
proteins and pigments known as
photosystem. Thylakoids have membranes
with photosystems. A photosystem
pigment molecule takes in light.
• Photons are tiny packets of light. As the
light photon travels to and arrives at a
chlorophyll molecule in photosystem II,
the excited state of the electrons transfers
made via Photosystem II free electrons
along a chain of proteins known as
electron transport transit network .
LIGHT DEPENDING REACTION
 2.

•Hydrogen ions are transported from the

stroma to the thylakoid region via
membrane pumps that are powered by
energy from the electrons.
• Water is split, providing a source of
electrons and protons (hydrogen ions H+
, continues to be used in the process)
and giving off O2 as a by-product.
 3.
Two carrier molecules absorb more energy:
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nicotinamide
adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH).
 Hydrogen ion build up in the concentration gradient
allows potential energy to be harvested and stored as
chemical energy in ATP through the transmembrane
ATP synthase.
 Chemiosmosis -the process wherein hydrogen ions
move through ATP synthase. -ions move from an area
of higher concentration to an area of lower
concentration across a semipermeable membrane.
Another function of the light dependent stage is the
generation of another energy carrier which is NADPH.
 NADPH - formed from NADP+ and hydrogen ions
fuelled by the energy carried by the electrons.
REC
ALL
ACTIV
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TIME!