Light dependent reactions

Photophosphorylation: The synthesis of ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using light energy
in photosynthesis.
- Photolysis and the Hill reaction:
Photolysis is the splitting of water using energy from light.
- Oxygen is a waste product of this reaction.
- The enzymes for this reactions are in P680.
Redox reactions are oxidation-reduction reactions (oxidation = loss of electrons , reduction =
gain of electrons)
- In 1939, Robert Hill did an experiment using isolated chloroplasts, which showed that in the
presence of an oxidising agent (in his case Fe ions, for us DCPIP) and light, even without
carbon dioxide isolated chloroplasts would produce oxygen.
DCPIP turns from blue to colourless when reduced.
- This showed that isolated chloroplasts had reducing power, removed oxygen from water,
and that isolated chloroplasts could be studied in vitro.
- This method can be used to study the effect of factors such as temperature and light
intensity on photosynthesis by using chloroplasts in a buffer solution with the same contents
and concentrations as that of the cytoplasm of the cell.
- Non-cyclical photophosphoryation:
This form of photophosphorylation is called non-cyclical because of the linear pathway of the
electrons.
1. Light falls on P680 and causes ground state electrons to become excited to a higher energy
level (photoactivation). Two electrons are emitted from the chlorophyll a molecule and
accepted by an electron acceptor.
- Electrons from water come and fill the vacancies created.
2. The electron acceptor sends the electrons to PS700 through an ETC.
3. As the electrons pass from electron carrier to electron carrier, energy is lost. This energy is
used to pump hydrogen ions across the thylakoid membrane and form a proton gradient
necessary for chemiosmosis.
4. Simultaneously light falls on P700. Two electrons are photoactivated and are emitted to an
electron acceptor.
- The electrons from P680 replace those emitted.
5. The electron acceptor passes the electrons to a final electron acceptor / oxidising agent
(NADP). Hydrogen ions from the splitting of water combine with the electrons and NADP to
form reduced NADP.
- Cyclical photophosphorylation:
Only PS700 is involved in this form of photophosphorylation.
1. Light is absorbed by P700 and passed to the reaction centre. Two electrons are emitted.
2. The electrons are captured by an electron acceptor.
3. This electron acceptor passes them back to the same chlorophyll molecule via an ETC.
During this process ATP is formed by chemiosmosis.