CO 7

Chapter 7
Photosynthesis

Name a plant you have

seen recently.

Brainstorm...
What are some careers or college
majors related to plants?

U of I - College of Agriculture

What is a plant anyway?7.1

Photosynthetic Organisms
A. Photosynthesis transforms
solar energy
B. Organic molecules built by
photosynthesis provide both
the building blocks and energy
for cells.

Figure 7.1b

C. Plants use the raw materials:

carbon dioxide and water
D. Chloroplasts carry out
photosynthesis

Figure 7.1c

E. Chlorophylls and other

pigments involved in
absorption of solar energy
reside within thylakoid
membranes of chloroplasts

Figure 7.2

Quick Check - FIVE OR FEWER

1. Plant

2. Thylakoid

3. Photosynthesis

4. Organic Molecules

7.2 Plants as Solar Energy Converters

A. Solar Radiation - Only 42% of solar radiation that hits the
earths atmosphere reaches surface; most is visible light.

B. Photosynthetic Pigments - Pigments found in

chlorophyll absorb various portions of visible light; absorption
spectrum.
1. Two major photosynthetic pigments are chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b.
2. Both chlorophylls absorb violet, blue, and red wavelengths best.
3. Most green is reflected back; this is why leaves appear green.

4. Carotenoids
are yelloworange pigments
which absorb
light in violet,
blue, and green
regions.
5. When
chlorophyll
breaks down in
fall, the yelloworange pigments
in leaves show

Fall Foliage Slideshow

C. Absorption and action spectrum - A

spectrophotometer measures the amount of light that
passes through a sample of pigments.
1) As different wavelengths are passed through, some
are absorbed.
2) Graph of percent of light absorbed at each
wavelength is absorption spectrum
.

3) Photosynthesis produces
oxygen; production of oxygen is
used to measure the rate of
photosynthesis.
4) Oxygen production and,
therefore, photosynthetic activity is
measured for plants under each
specific wavelength; plotted on a
graph, this produces an action
spectrum.
5) Since the action spectrum
resembles absorption spectrum,
this indicates that chlorophylls
contribute to photosynthesis.

D. Photosynthetic Reaction
1. In 1930 C. B. van Niel showed that O2 given off by
photosynthesis comes from water and not from CO2.
2. The net equation reads:

E. Two Sets of Reactions in Photosynthesis

1. Light reactions cannot take place unless light is present.

They are the energy-capturing reactions.

b. Chlorophyl within thylakoid membranes absorbs solar energy

and energizes electrons.
c. Energized electrons move down the electron transport
system; energy is captures and used for ATP production.
d. Energized electrons are also taken up by NADP+, becoming
NADPH.

2. Calvin Cycle
Reactions
a. These reactions take
place in the stroma; can
occur in either the light
or the dark.
b. These are synthesis
reactions that use
NADPH and ATP to
reduce CO2.
-- and make a
carbohydrate, sugar

What you should know by now..

1. The equation for photosynthesis. Write it!

2. The structure of a chloroplast. Sketch it!

3. Compare Absorption Spectrum to Action Spectrum. Color it!

4. Compare the two stages of photosynthesis and their

products. Chart it!
**Things are about to get much more difficult**

Quick Test
Text 9937 and your message to 37607
or
Tweet @poll 9937 and your answer

What are the products of the light reaction?

(Hint: there are 3)
What are the products of the light reaction? (Hint: there are 3)
What are the products of the light reaction? (Hint: there are 3)

7.3 The Light Reactions

1. Two paths operate within the thylakoid membrane
noncyclic
*straight line

and

cyclic
*in a circle

2. Both paths use ATP, but the noncyclic also produces NADPH

3. PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION = ATP production

also called CHEMIOSMOSIS

1. Light hits photosystem II and exites an electron, H20

2. The primary electron acceptor passes the electron down the ETC and
generates ATP
3. Light is required for PSI, but not water, it generates NADPH

Something trivial....
Photosystem I and Photosystem II are
named based on when they were discovered,
PSI was established first.

Figure 7.5

Indicate which system

(PS1 or PS2 or BOTH)

____1. Splits water

____2. Produces NADPH
____3. Has an electron transport chain
____4. Requires light
____5. Utilizes a primary electron acceptor
____6. Occurs in the thylakoid
____7. Requires the input of H20
____8. The cyclic path
____9. Uses chlorophyll
____10. Releases oxygen

Are you still confused? This is pretty

hard to visualize, but through the magic
of technology, we can watch these
processes as animations
McGraw Hill Animation
Forest Biology - The Light Reactions

7.3 Light Reactions

A. Two Pathways
B. Noncyclic
C. Cyclic
D. ATP Production --> CHEMIOSMOSIS
When H20 is split, two H+ remain
These H+ are pumped from the stroma into the
thylakoid
This creates a gradient used to produce ATP from ADP

ATP is the whole point of Photosystem II and will be used

to power the Light Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle)

Figure 7.7

Chemiosmosis is difficult to visualize.

So... you get to color it!

Yay! colori
ng!

The Calvin Cycle

Also called

*The Light Independent Reactions

*The Dark Reactions
*Named after Melvin Calvin, who
used a radioactive isotope of
carbon to trace the reactions.

The Calvin Cycle

is a series of reactions producing carbohydrates.
carbon dioxide fixation, carbon dioxide reduction,
and regeneration of RuBP.

FIXATION

REDUCTION
REGENERATION

B. Fixation of Carbon Dioxide

1. CO2 fixation is the attachment of CO2 to an organic
compound called RuBP.
2. RuBP (ribulose bisphosphate) is a five-carbon molecule that
combines with carbon dioxide.

3. The enzyme RuBP carboxylase (rubisco) speeds this

reaction; this enzyme comprises 2050% of the protein
content of chloroplasts

Calvin Cycle Animation

Mainly this is a reshuffling of

carbons using ATP and NADPH
as energy

G3P can be
converted into
other things

Fortunately....
AP Biology no longer requires the
memorization of every step of the Calvin
Cycle, but you should understand the
beginning and the end and what it's
purpose is.

Summary Statements:

What is the purpose of the Calvin Cycle?

Where does the cell get its energy to perform these reactions?

What is the final product?

What Factors the Affect Photosynthesis?

1. Light Quality (color)
2. Light intensity
3. Light Period
4. Carbon Dioxide Availability
5. Water Availability

Photosynthesis
Simulation
Waterweed
Simulator

*Design an experiment to test ONE of the above factors*

Some Plant Taxonomy

In order for photosynthesis to occur, plants must open tiny

pores on their leaves called STOMATA.
Opening these pores can lead to loss of water.

Alternative Pathways
The Calvin Cycle is the MOST Common Pathway for Carbon
Fixation. Plant Species that fix Carbon EXCLUSIVELY through
the Calvin Cycle are known as C3 PLANTS.

Plants in hot dry environments have a problem with water loss,

so they keep their stomata partly closed... this results in
CO2 deficit (Used in Calvin Cycle), and the level of O2
RISES
(as Light reactions Split Water Molecules).

Figure 7.10

C4 plants and CAM

plants use an
alternate pathway to
FIX carbon dioxide
from the air.

Figure 7.11

THE CAM PATHWAY - Plants that use the

CAM Pathway open their stomata at night and
close during the day.

At night, CAM Plants take in CO2 and fix into

organic compounds. During the day, CO2 is
released from these Compounds and enters
the Calvin Cycle. Because they have their
stomata open only at night, they grow slow.

Quick Practice

Quick Practice

grana

thylakoid

stroma
O2

Pg 129b

Light & H2O

CO2

ADP
NADP
ATP
NADPH
O2

glucose

A = photosystem II
B = photosystem I
C = H20
D = Electron Transport Chain
E = ATP Synthase

AB = ATP
AC = phospholipids
AD = light (energy)

The ABC's of Photosynthesis

1. Check out some these alphabet books for inspiration

The Absurd Alphabet | The Butterfly Alphabet

2. As a group create your own alphabet book. You can use

all letters or combine letters into groups [ A B ] [ C D
] etc. You should have at LEAST ten concepts with an
illustration and description.