Lecture 19-20

Chapter 7

Photosynthesis
 Photosynthetic autotrophs
make their own food

Plants Algae Cyanobacteria

These are the ultimate producers of food

consumed by virtually all organisms
 How Plants Capture Energy from Sunlight
Light consists of tiny packets of
energy called photons

Sunlight contains photons of

many energy levels or
wavelengths

The full range of these photons

is called the electromagnetic
spectrum

Roy G. Biv

see Figure 5.3

 A pigment is a molecule that
absorbs light
The pigment in human eyes is
retinal, made from Vitamin A
Retinal absorbs
~750 (red) nm to 380 (violet)
=Visible light
 Electrons
Energy is the ability to do work
Electrons have energy due to their relative
orbital position (potential energy)
 Visible radiation drives the light reactions
The main pigment in plants is chlorophyll
Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b
Have slight differences in absorption spectra
Carotenoids are accessory pigments
They capture wavelengths not efficiently absorbed by chlorophyll

Absorption
spectra of
chlorophylls
(absorb red,
reflect green
so we see
green) and
carotenoids
(absorb
blue, reflect
orange)

Figure 5.6
Fall colors are produced by pigments such as carotenoids
 An overview of photosynthesis
The complete process of Figure 5.7

*
photosynthesis consists of two
linked sets of reactions:
the light reactions and the
Calvin cycle

The light reactions convert light

energy to chemical energy and
produce O2

GP3
The Calvin cycle assembles sugar
molecules from CO2 using the
energy-carrying products of the light O2
reactions

*a good fill in
the blank CO2 + H2O + LIGHT > glucose + O2
Question :-)

Know this NET reaction!!!

 Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast

Figure 5.4

In most plants, photosynthesis occurs primarily in the leaves, in the chloroplasts

A chloroplast contains: stroma (fluid) and grana (stacks of thylakoids)
The thylakoids contain chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is the green pigment that captures light for photosynthesis
 Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast
Chlorophyll is embedded in a protein complex in the thylakoid membrane

see Figure 8.4

See Figure 5.5
 Photosystems capture solar power
Two connected photosystems collect
photons of light and transfer the
energy to chlorophyll electrons Lost electron is replaced by
one from water breakdown
An antenna of chlorophyll and
other pigment molecules
that absorb light
A primary electron acceptor
that receives excited electrons
from the reaction-center
chlorophyll
Excitation energy
is transferred
between molecules

How a photosystem works

The excited electrons are passed from the primary electron acceptor to electron transport chains.
Their energy ends up in ATP and NADPH

see Figure 5.9

 Chemiosmosis powers ATP
synthesis in the light reactions

Thylakoid
compartment
(high H+,
low pH) see Figure 5.10
 THE CALVIN CYCLE:
CONVERTING CO2 TO SUGARS

The Calvin cycle occurs in the

chloroplasts stroma
This is where carbon fixation
takes place and sugar is
manufactured

The Calvin cycle constructs G3P

using carbon from atmospheric CO2
electrons and H+ from NADPH
energy from ATP

Energy-rich sugar is then

converted into glucose

see Figure 5.11

 Photosynthesis uses light energy
to make food molecules

Is there a NET
production of ATP
in photosynthesis?

ATP made in
plants
mitochondria

Many plants make extra sugar

The excess is stored in roots, tuber, and fruits
These are a major source of food for animals
 This is a
VERY
IMPORTANT Figure 6.13
cycle

Nearly all the chemical

energy that organisms
use comes ultimately
from sunlight

Figure 6.13