Name:______________________________

Period:_______

Photosynthesis Lecture Notes

Quickwrite

What do you think would happen if humans were able to photosynthesize? What traits would humans need to
accomplish this?

Photosynthesis is the process in which organisms convert light energy into chemical energy for food.
Photosynthesis has the Greek prefix “photo” and the root word “synthesis”

What does “photo” mean:

What does “synthesis” mean:

What three organisms can use photosynthesis?

________________, ___________________, _________________

Write the chemical formula for photosynthesis:

______________+_______________ --------> _________________+__________________

 Name:______________________________
Period:_______

How are the reactants absorbed in plants?

Reactants Through what structure is it absorbed?

Photosynthesis occurs in the __________________.

There are two steps involved: _______________________and_____________________

________________ reactions occur in the __________________ inside the chloroplast.

________________reactions occur in the _________________, the liquid part of the cholorplast.

Light-Independent reactions used to be known as the dark reactions, but they do not tale place in the dark.
Light-Independent reactions are also known as the Calvin cycle.

Progress Check

1. How many reactants are there? What are they?

 Name:______________________________
Period:_______

2. How do these reactants get into the plant?

3. Where do light-dependent reactions occur?

4. Where do the light-independent reactions occur?

Light-dependent reactions

Light-dependent reactions contain photosystems, which are large complexes of proteins and pigments.
Photosystems II (PSII) occurs before Photosystem I (PSI). This is because PSI was discovered before PSII.
The enzyme ATP synthase is at the end of the Electron Transport Chain.

PSII absorbs light which then causes water splitting (breaking apart H2O) in order to create _________.

The electrons then move through the _____________________ and arrive at PSI

At PSI, light enters again and excites the electron to a higher energy level.

These high energy electrons are then picked up by NADP+ to create ___________

With the higher concentration of hydrogen ions, they diffuse to the lesser concentrated side through the ATP
Synthase, thus creating ______________

Underline the inputs and circle outputs of Light-dependent reactions in the picture below:

Photo Credit: Khan Academy

 Name:______________________________
Period:_______

Progress Check:

1. Which photosystem splits water (reactant)?

2. What product is created from the splitting of water?

3. What product is created after a hydrogen ion (H+) goes through ATP synthase?

Light-independent reactions

Light-Independent reactions are also known as the Calvin Cycle. This cycle was once named the “Dark”
reaction, but this reaction does not take place in the dark or at night. It simply does not need light to power
the reaction.

This cycle can be split into three main segments known as _________________, _________________, and
___________________.

______________, a reactant, enters the cycle and is added to to a 5-carbon molecule. This creates an

__________________6- carbon molecule which needs to be fixated.

6-carbon molecule breaks into two 3-carbon molecules (carbon fixation) with the help of _____________.

___________ and _____________ which are products from the previous light-dependent cycle is used here
in order to make G3P.

This G3P molecule can then leave to produce ______________________ or be regenerated into a
5-_____________ in order to begin the cycle ones again.
 Name:______________________________
Period:_______

Underline the reactants and circle the products of this cycle.

Highlight the products that were created in the light-dependent reaction and are now reactants here.

Photo Credit: Khan Academy

Progress Check:

1. What are the three segments of the light-independent reactions?

2. What enzyme helps to split the 6-carbon molecule into two 3-carbon molecules?

3. What molecule leaves to produce glucose?

 Name:______________________________
Period:_______

Conclusion

Now that you have learned more about photosynthesis, how would you change your original answer?

How many more traits do would we need as humans to be able to photosynthesize?

Think of how other organisms have adapted-do you think some animals have been able to photosynthesize?