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Overall Equation: Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other autotrophs use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen and energy in the form of sugars. It occurs in chloroplasts through two main phases - the light-dependent reactions which use energy from sunlight to produce ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent Calvin cycle which uses these products to fix carbon from carbon dioxide into glucose. The overall equation is 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2. Most photosynthesis occurs in the palisade layer of leaves, where gas exchange also happens through stomata.

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49 views4 pages

Overall Equation: Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other autotrophs use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen and energy in the form of sugars. It occurs in chloroplasts through two main phases - the light-dependent reactions which use energy from sunlight to produce ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent Calvin cycle which uses these products to fix carbon from carbon dioxide into glucose. The overall equation is 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2. Most photosynthesis occurs in the palisade layer of leaves, where gas exchange also happens through stomata.

Uploaded by

Eleanor
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PHOTOSYNTHESIS

 Process by which plants and other autotrophs store the energy of sunlight
into sugars
 Requires sunlight, water and carbon dioxide
 Occurs in the leaves of plants in organelles called chloroplasts.
OVERALL EQUATION
 6 CO2 + 6 H20  C6H12O6 + 6 O2
LEAF STRUCTURE
 Most photosynthesis occurs in the palisade layer.
 Gas exchange of CO2 and O2 occurs in openings called
stomata surrounded by guard cells on the lower leaf
surface.
INTERNAL PARTS
 LOWER EPIDERMIS – outmost tissue on the lower side of the leaf;
protects the leaf
 UPPER EPIDERMIS – outmost tissue on the upper side of the leaf;
protects the leaf
 PALISADE LAYER– rows of elongated cells in the upper center of leaf;
sites of photosynthesis
 CUTICLE – waxy layer on the covering the epidermis; holds in moisture,
prevents too much absorption of water
 STOMA/STOMATA – opening between the guard cells; allows for gas
exchange and some water
 GUARD CELLS – surround the stoma; control the opening and closing of
the stoma
CHLOROPLASTS STRUCTURE
• Inner membrane called the thylakoid membrane.
• Thickened regions called thylakoids. A stack of thylakoids is called a
granum. (Plural – grana)
• Stroma is a liquid surrounding the thylakoids.
PIGMENTS
• Chlorophyll A is the most important photosynthetic pigment.
• Other pigments or accessory pigments are also present in the leaf.
– Chlorophyll B
– Carotenoids (orange / red)
– Xanthophylls (yellow / brown)
• These pigments are embedded in the membranes of the chloroplast in
groups called photosystems.
PHOTOSYSTEMS - groups of pigments embedded in the membranes of a
chloroplast.
THE CHEMICAL PROCESS
• Occurs in two main phases.
– Light reactions
– Dark reactions
– (aka – the Calvin Cycle)
• Light reactions (light-dependent) are the “photo” part of photosynthesis.
Light is absorbed by pigments.
• Dark reactions
(light-independent or Calvin cycle) are the “synthesis” part of
photosynthesis. Trapped energy from the sun is converted to the chemical
energy of sugars.
LIGHT REACTIONS: (LIGHT DEPENDENT)
 Occur within and across thylakoid membranes
– Light and water are required for this process
– Water molecules - broken down to give hydrogen ions, oxygen
and energized e-
– Oxygen gas is made as a waste product.
– Energy carried along thylakoid is transferred to molecules w/c carry
energy (ATP and NADPH)
CODES
ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate
NADPH
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Hydrogen
NADP: Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate
ELECTRON TRANSPORT
- Process by which energized e- are carried from photosystem II across
carrier molecule. (uses energy to transport H+)

PHOTOSYSTEM I PHOTOSYSTEM II
 Energy is absorbed from sunlight  Energy is absorbed from sunlight
– transferred to e- then leave
chlorophyll and enter e- transport
chain (series of proteins in the
chain)
 NADPH is produced when e- are  H2O molecules split – enzymes
added to NADP+ break H2O giving O2 as waste.
 H ions diffuse through a protein  H ions are transported – e- moves
channel from protein to protein in e-
transport chain.
 ADP is changed into ATP when H
ions flow through ATP synthase
SYNTHESIS OF ATP
 Concentration gradient is produced in thylakoid due to high H+
concentration
- H + diffuses back to stroma using a membrane protein (ATP synthase)
- ADP is converted to ATP due to energy released from H ions flow

DARK REACTIONS (LIGHT-INDEPENDENT) – occurs in the stroma


 Carbon Fixation: CO2 is “fixed” into the sugar glucose
- 6 molecules of CO2 combine w/six 5-carbon compound (RuBP-ribulose
biphosphate) to form twelve 3-carbon molecules (PGA-phosphoglycerate)
 Production of G3P - Chemical energy from ATP and NADPH is
transferred to 3-PGA to form high energy molecules (G3P- glyceraldehyde
3-phosphates)
 ATP supplies phosphate groups
 NADPH supplies hydrogen
 Two G3P molecules combine forming glucose
 Restocking RuBP - 10 G3P recycled back to RuBP
 Requires energy from 6 ATP (light-dependent reactions)
 To be used in the next Calvin cycle
CALVIN CYCLE
- 1 cycle uses only one molecule of carbon
- Cycle should occur 6 times to produce 1 molecule of glucose
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS
- Target goal is to make glucose
- Light-dependent – creates ATP and NADPH
- ATP and NADPH – required by the Calvin cycle to make a glucose
molecule
- NADP+ and ADP released in light reaction- generates more NADPH and
ATP

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