Photosynthesis
Figure 10.1
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Photosynthesis
Occurs in plants, algae, certain other protists,
and some prokaryotes
These organisms use light energy to drive the
synthesis of organic molecules from carbon dioxide
and (in most cases) water. They feed not only
themselves, but the entire living world. (a) On
land, plants are the predominant producers of
food. In aquatic environments, photosynthetic
organisms include (b) multicellular algae, such
as this kelp; (c) some unicellular protists, such
as Euglena; (d) the prokaryotes called
cyanobacteria; and (e) other photosynthetic
prokaryotes, such as these purple sulfur
(a) Plants
bacteria, which produce sulfur (spherical
globules) (c, d, e: LMs).
Figure 10.2
(d) Cyanobacteria
40 m
1.5 m
Heterotrophs
Obtain their organic material from other
organisms
Are the consumers of the biosphere
Mesophyll
Stomata
Figure 10.3
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
CO2
O2
Chloroplasts
Mesophyll
Chloroplast
5 m
Outer
membrane
Stroma Granum
Thylakoid Thylakoid
space
Intermembrane
space
Inner
membrane
1 m
Reactants:
Products:
12 H2O
6 CO2
C6H12O6
Figure 10.4
6
H2O
6
O2
An overview of photosynthesis
H2O
CO2
Light
NADP
ADP
+ P
LIGHT
REACTIONS
CALVIN
CYCLE
ATP
NADPH
Chloroplast
Figure 10.5
O2
[CH2O]
(sugar)
Wavelength
Is the distance between the crests of waves
103 nm
Gamma
rays
X-rays
UV
1m
106 nm
106 nm
103 nm
1 nm
Infrared
Microwaves
103 m
Radio
waves
Visible light
380
450
500
550
Shorter wavelength
Figure 10.6
Higher energy
600
650
700
Longer wavelength
Lower energy
750 nm
Absorbed
light
Granum
Transmitted
light
Figure 10.7
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
The spectrophotometer
Is a machine that sends light through pigments
and measures the fraction of light transmitted
at each wavelength
An absorption spectrum
Is a graph plotting light absorption versus wavelength
Refracting Chlorophyll
prism
solution
White
light
Photoelectric
tube
Galvanometer
3
100
Figure 10.8
Blue
light
100
RESULTS
Absorption of light by
chloroplast pigments
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
Carotenoids
Rate of photosynthesis
(measured by O2 release)
(b) Action spectrum. This graph plots the rate of photosynthesis versus wavelength.
The resulting action spectrum resembles the absorption spectrum for chlorophyll
a but does not match exactly (see part a). This is partly due to the absorption of light
by accessory pigments such as chlorophyll b and carotenoids.
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
500
600
700
400
(c) Engelmanns experiment. In 1883, Theodor W. Engelmann illuminated a filamentous alga with light that had
been passed through a prism, exposing different segments of the alga to different wavelengths. He used aerobic
bacteria, which concentrate near an oxygen source, to determine which segments of the alga were releasing the
most O2 and thus photosynthesizing most.
Bacteria congregated in greatest numbers around the parts of the alga illuminated with violet-blue or red light.
Notice the close match of the bacterial distribution to the action spectrum in part b.
CONCLUSION
Light in the violet-blue and red portions of the spectrum are most effective in driving
photosynthesis.
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
in chlorophyll a
CHO
in chlorophyll b
CH2
CH
CH3
Is an accessory pigment
C
H3C
Mg
N
C
C
H3C
CH3
CH2
H
H
C
O
CH3
CH3
Porphyrin ring:
Light-absorbing
head of molecule
note magnesium
atom at center
C
O
CH2
CH2
O
CH3
CH2
Figure 10.10
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Hydrocarbon tail:
interacts with hydrophobic
regions of proteins inside
thylakoid membranes of
chloroplasts: H atoms not
shown
Excited
state
Heat
Photon
(fluorescence)
Photon
Chlorophyll
molecule
Figure 10.11 A
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Ground
state
Figure 10.11 B
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
A photosystem
Is composed of a reaction center surrounded by a
number of light-harvesting complexes
Thylakoid
Photosystem
Photon
Thylakoid membrane
Light-harvesting
complexes
STROMA
Primary election
acceptor
Transfer
of energy
Figure 10.12
Reaction
center
Special
chlorophyll a
molecules
Pigment
molecules
THYLAKOID SPACE
(INTERIOR OF THYLAKOID)
CO2
Light
NADP+
ADP
CALVIN
CYCLE
LIGHT
REACTIONS
ATP
NADPH
O2
[CH2O] (sugar)
Primary
acceptor
Primary
acceptor
Fd
2
2 H+
+
O2
Pq
H2O
NADP+
NADP+
+ 2 H+
reductase
NADPH
PC
+ H+
P700
P680
Light
6
ATP
Figure 10.13
Cytochrome
complex
e
Light
1
Photosystem II
(PS II)
Photosystem-I
(PS I)
ATP
NADPH
e
e
Mill
makes
ATP
Figure 10.14
Photosystem II
Photosystem I
Primary
acceptor
Fd
Fd
Pq
NADP+
reductase
Cytochrome
complex
NADPH
Pc
Figure 10.15
Photosystem II
ATP
NADP+
Photosystem I
Mitochondrion
CHLOROPLAST
STRUCTURE
MITOCHONDRION
STRUCTURE
Intermembrance
space
Membrance
H+ Diffusion
Electron
transport
chain
ATP
Synthase
Matrix
Figure 10.16
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
ADP+
Thylakoid
space
Stroma
H+
ATP
In both organelles
Redox reactions of electron transport chains
generate a H+ gradient across a membrane
ATP synthase
Uses this proton-motive force to make ATP
CO2
LIGHT
NADP+
ADP
LIGHT
REACTOR
CALVIN
CYCLE
ATP
NADPH
STROMA
(Low H+ concentration)
O2
[CH2O] (sugar)
Cytochrome
Photosystem II
complex
Photosystem I
NADP+
reductase
Light
2 H+
Fd
NADP+ + 2H+
NADPH + H+
Pq
Pc
2
H2O
THYLAKOID SPACE
1
(High H+ concentration)
1
2
O2
+2 H+
2 H+
To
Calvin
cycle
STROMA
(Low H+ concentration)
Thylakoid
membrane
ATP
synthase
ADP
ATP
P
Figure 10.17
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
H+
Reduction
Regeneration of the CO2 acceptor
H2 O
CO2
Input
3 (Entering one
CO2 at a time)
NADP+
ADP
CALVIN
CYCLE
LIGHT
REACTION
ATP
NADPH
O2
Rubisco
[CH2O] (sugar)
3 P
3 P
Short-lived
intermediate
Ribulose bisphosphate
(RuBP)
3-Phosphoglycerate
ATP
6 ADP
CALVIN
CYCLE
3 ADP
3
ATP
Phase 3:
Regeneration of
the CO2 acceptor
(RuBP)
6 P
1,3-Bisphoglycerate
6 NADPH
6 NADPH+
6 P
P
(G3P)
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
(G3P)
Figure 10.18
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
G3P
(a sugar)
Output
Glucose and
other organic
compounds
Phase 2:
Reduction
C4 Plants
C4 plants minimize the cost of photorespiration
By incorporating CO2 into four carbon
compounds in mesophyll cells
Mesophyll cell
Photosynthetic
cells of C4 plant
leaf
CO
CO
2 2
PEP carboxylase
Bundlesheath
cell
PEP (3 C)
ADP
Oxaloacetate (4 C)
Vein
(vascular tissue)
Malate (4 C)
ATP
C4 leaf anatomy
BundleSheath
cell
Pyruate (3 C)
CO2
Stoma
CALVIN
CYCLE
Sugar
Vascular
tissue
Figure 10.19
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
CAM Plants
CAM plants
Open their stomata at night, incorporating CO2
into organic acids
Pineapple
Sugarcane
C4
Mesophyll Cell
Organic acid
Bundlesheath
cell
(a) Spatial separation
of steps. In C4
plants, carbon fixation
and the Calvin cycle
occur in different
Figure 10.20 types of cells.
CAM
CO2
CALVIN
CYCLE
CO2
Sugar
CALVIN
CYCLE
Sugar
Night
Day
(b) Temporal separation
of steps. In CAM
plants, carbon fixation
and the Calvin cycle
occur in the same cells
at different times.
Calvin cycle
H2O
CO2
Light
NADP+
ADP
+P1
RuBP
3-Phosphoglycerate
Photosystem II
Electron transport chain
Photosystem I
ATP
NADPH
G3P
Starch
(storage)
Amino acids
Fatty acids
Chloroplast
Figure 10.21
O2
Light reactions:
Are carried out by molecules in the
thylakoid membranes
Convert light energy to the chemical
energy of ATP and NADPH
Split H2O and release O2 to the
atmosphere
Sucrose (export)