De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2

Section: S11-13 Date Submitted: March 16, 2020 Score:

Names: Dimaano, Lance Frederick Naguit, Mariah Antoinette Pena, Augusto Leon

Worksheet 1: Photosynthesis

Introduction: All cells need energy to live and survive. The sun is the ultimate source of energy to the
earth. Almost all organisms derive their energies from sunlight but the only organisms which have the
ability to directly trap this energy source are those that perform photosynthesis- process where light energy
is converted into a form of chemical energy that can be stored and used later on.

General Directions: Do the following items as you are instructed. Write your answers on the space
provided. Avoid erasures and alterations. Good luck!

1. (SITE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS) Label the illustration using numbered parts below. Use the words
inside the box as your guide. State their descriptions and functions on the space provided. (16 PTS)
1. Chloroplast

Chloroplast An organelle, to be specific a plastid, where

photosynthesis takes place. In other words, the main site for
the process of photosynthesis
Mesophyll
2. Stomata

Tiny openings or pores in plant tissue that allow

for gas exchange. Stomata open and close to allow the intake
of carbon dioxide and the release of oxygen.

3. Mesophyll cell
Stroma
CO2 O2
A type of ground tissue found in the plant’s
leaves; these cells in the middle of the leaf contain multiple
Mesophyll Cell chloroplasts and it allow carbon dioxide to move freely.
Chloroplast
4. Outer Membrane

The outer membrane is permeable or hydrophilic

to small organic molecules.

Outer Membrane
5. Inner Membrane

The inner membrane is less permeable or

Intermembrane Space
Thylakoid Thylakoid Space hydrophobic and studded with transport proteins. The inner
Inner Membrane
Stroma membrane surrounds the stroma and the grana.
Granum

6. Thylakoid

A sheet-like membrane-bound structure that is

the site of the Light Dependent stage of photosynthesis
reactions. It is the site that contains the chlorophyll
(Photosystem I and Photosystem II) used to absorb light and
use it for biochemical reactions.

7. Granum

This is the stack of thylakoids embedded in the

stroma of the chloroplast.

8. Stroma

The colorless fluid surrounding the grana, where

the second stage of photosynthesis (Calvin Cycle or Light
Independent Reaction or Dark Reaction) occurs.
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
2. (Tracking Atoms through Photosynthesis) Presented below is the balanced formula of photosynthesis.
Using the given equation explain photosynthesis as redox reaction by filling the given table. (6pts)

Reaction Type Description Examples (Photosynthesis)

Reduction The decrease in oxidation 6CO2 (reactant) > C6H12O6 (product) - CO2
number by gaining electrons. is reduced when it was fixated to RuBP and
A decrease in # of O and/or electrons were added from NADPH to form
increase in # of H in the TP which in the long run becomes C6H12O6.
compound.
Oxidation The increase in oxidation 6H2O (reactant) > 6O2 (product) - H2O is
number by losing electrons. oxidized when it reaches the inside of the
An increase in # of O and/or thylakoid and photolysis happens; this means
decrease in # of H in the that the H2O molecule is split apart into
compound. Hydrogen Ions (Proton), Electrons, and then
the by-product )O2.

3. (Photosynthesis and Its Metabolic Stages) Using the information provided in the box, place it in the
proper column on the provided table. Be guided with the two parts of photosynthesis. (9pts)

Happens in the thylakoid

Happens in the stroma
Split H2O
Forms sugar from CO2, using
ATP and NADPH
Reduce NADP+ to NADPH
Generate ATP from ADP by
photophosphorylation
Also called the light reactions
Begins with carbon fixation,
incorporating CO2 into organic
molecules
Sometimes called the dark
reactions
Release O2
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2

Light Dependent Reaction Light Independent Reaction

• Happens in the thylakoid • Happens in the stroma

• Split H2O • Forms sugar from CO2, using ATP and
• Release O2 NADPH
• Reduce NADP+ to NADPH • Begins with carbon fixation,
• Generate ATP from ADP by incorporating CO2 into organic molecules
photophosphorylation • Sometimes called the dark reactions
• Also called the light reactions

4. (Exploring Light and Dark Reaction) Explain the steps of light and dark reactions of photosynthesis
guided by the illustration. Write your answer inside the box. (12 pts)

Light Dependent Reaction

Step 1: Excitation of Photosystems by Light Energy

When sunlight strikes the thylakoid, the light-harvesting complex in Photosystem II (P680) absorbs the
photons/solar energy. This same energy will then be passed from pigment to pigment until it can be transferred
to a pair of special chlorophyll, which is inside the reaction center, boosting/exciting an electron. Afterwards, the
now excited electron will pass through primary electron acceptor. After the electrons pass through the
plastoquinone, cytochrome, and plastocyanin, the electrons will go through the Photosystem I (P700), undergoing
the same process of excitation once again.
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
Step 2: Production of ATP via an Electron Transport Chain

From the primary electron acceptor, it leaves the reaction center through the plastoquinone, transporting it to the
Cytochrome then to Plastocyanin then to Photosystem I. Simultaneously, the cytochrome uses a bit of the energy
of the boosted electron to pump hydrogen protons from the stroma into the thylakoid lumen, creating a
concentration gradient wherein the concentration of hydrogen ions is higher inside (lumen) and lower outside
(stroma). As the hydrogen protons flow down their gradient and into the stroma, they pass through an enzyme
called ATP Synthase. The movement of the hydrogen ions from the thylakoid lumen to the stroma (chemiosmosis)
through the ATP synthase will catalyze the synthesis of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, in which ADP +
Pi forms ATP.

Step 3: Reduction of NADP+ and the Photolysis of Water

The excited electrons from Photosystem I will now be transferred to an electron transfer protein, Ferredoxin, then
to Ferredoxin-NADP reductase, which is an enzyme that helps reduce NADP+ to NADPH by adding H+, which is
needed along with ATP for the light independent reaction. In order to replace the lost electrons from Photosystem
II, the Photolysis of water occurs, in which water is broken down into H+ ions, which is added to the ones used for
ATP synthesis, and oxygen. In order to produce diatomic oxygen, 2 molecules of water is needed. Then, the
diatomic oxygen is released into the atmosphere as byproducts.
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2

Light Independent Reaction

Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:

Carbon Fixation Reduction of Glycerate- Regeneration of RuBP
3-Phosphate
■ The Calvin cycle begins ■ Glycerate-3-phosphate ■ Of the six molecules of TP
with a 5C compound called (GP) is converted into produced per cycle, one TP
ribulose bisphosphate (or triose phosphate (TP) using molecule may be used to
RuBP). NADPH and ATP. form half a sugar molecule.
■ An enzyme, RuBP ■ Reduction by NADPH ■ Hence, two cycles are
carboxylase oxidase (or transfers hydrogen atoms required to produce a
RuBisCO), catalyzes the to the compound, while the single glucose monomer,
attachment of a CO2 hydrolysis of ATP provides and more to produce
molecule to RuBP. energy. polysaccharides like starch.
■ The resulting 6C compound ■ Each GP requires one ■ The remaining five TP
is unstable and breaks NADPH and one ATP to molecules are recombined
down into two 3C form a triose phosphate – to regenerate stocks of
compounds – called so a single cycle requires RuBP (5 × 3C = 3 × 5C).
glycerate-3-phosphate six of each molecule. ■ The regeneration of RuBP
(GP). ■ In other words, the 6 GP requires energy derived
■ A single cycle involves will be reduced to 6 TP by from the hydrolysis of ATP.
three molecules of RuBP 6 ATP and 6 NADPH. ■ In detail, 3 ATP is required
combining with three to convert the 5 TP into 3
molecules of CO2 to make RuBP.
six molecules of GP.
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2

5. (Special Cases: Plant Adaptation) Explain some plant adaptations by filling up the given table below.
(16 pts)

C4 Plants CAM Plants

Process: (5pts) Process: (5 pts)

C4 plants are called as “C4 plants” because the first Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants minimize
product of carbon fixation is a 4-carbon compound photorespiration and save water by separating these
(instead of a 3-carbon compound as in C3 or “normal” steps in time, between night and day. Instead of
plants), which is also known as Oxaloacetic Acid. separating the light-dependent reactions and the use
of CO2 in the Calvin cycle in space, CAM plants separate
When the weather is not hot and dry, the plant will these processes in time. At night, CAM plants open
open its stomata and intake a lot of CO2, even if some their stomata, allowing CO2 to diffuse into the leaves.
of them are not needed at that moment. The excess This CO2 is fixed into oxaloacetate by PEP carboxylase
CO2 will be stored as the 4-carbon compound inside (the same step used by C4 plants), then converted to
the mesophyll of the plant. Moreover, this additional malate or another type of organic acid. The organic
process won’t hinder or affect the rest of the acid is stored inside vacuoles until the next day. In the
photosynthesis. daylight, the CAM plants do not open their stomata,
but they can still photosynthesize. That's because the
The oxaloacetic acid is not only going to be used when organic acids are transported out of the vacuole and
the plant closes its stomata; a closed stoma means no broken down to release CO2 which enters the Calvin
CO2 intake. The 4-carbon compound will now be cycle. This controlled release maintains a high
moved from the mesophyll to the bundle sheath where concentration of CO2 around rubisco. The CAM
it will be used for the Calvin Cycle. In other words, pathway requires ATP at multiple steps (not shown
oxaloacetic acid becomes the plant’s source of CO2. above), so like C4 photosynthesis, it is not an energetic
Now, this gives the C4 plants the ability to "freebie." However, plant species that use CAM
photosynthesize even with its stomata closed. photosynthesis not only avoid photorespiration but are
also very water efficient. Their stomata only open at
For more information: night, when humidity tends to be higher and
temperatures are cooler, both factors that reduce
According to Jung Choi, a professor in Georgia Tech water loss from leaves. CAM plants are typically
Biology: “There are two important adaptations that dominant in very hot, dry areas, like deserts.
allow C4 plants to do this:

● First, C4 plants use an alternate enzyme

for the first step of carbon fixation. This
enzyme is called phosphoenolpyruvate
(PEP) carboxylase, and it has no oxygenase
activity and has a much higher affinity for
CO2 than rubisco. As the name “PEP
carboxylase” suggests, the enzyme
attaches CO2 to a compound called
phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP).
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
● Second, C4 plants have specialized leaf
anatomy with two different types of
photosynthetic cells: mesophyll cells (on
the exterior of the leaf, near stomata) and
bundle sheath cells (in the interior of the
leaf, far away from stomata). Rubisco is
located in bundle sheath cells, but not in
mesophyll cells.

Examples: (3pts) Examples: (3pts)

Examples of C4 species are the economically important Specific examples of CAM plants are the jade plant
crops corn or maize (Zea Mays), sugarcane (Saccharum (Crassula Argentea), Aeonium, Echeveria, Kalanchoe,
Officinarum), sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor), and millets, and Sedum of the family Crassulaceae, pineapple
as well as the switchgrass (Panicum Virganum) which (Ananas Comosus), Spanish moss (Tillandsia
has been utilized as a source of biofuel. Usneoides), cacti, orchids, Agave, and wax plant (Hoya
Carnosa, family Apocynaceae). Both pineapple and
Spanish moss are bromeliads or members of the family
Bromeliaceae.

6. (Critical Thinking Questions) Answer the following questions briefly utilizing your knowledge on
photosynthesis. (16 pts)

1. Why are carnivores, such as lions, dependent on photosynthesis to survive? (2pts)

At the base of an ecological pyramid, food “producers” (autotrophs) are consumed by organisms on
higher trophic levels of that same pyramid (heterotrophs). The lion, an apex predator (at the top of its
food chain) do not eat plants but needs the flesh and blood produced by those organisms that do:
herbivores -- organisms that consume vegetation, which need photosynthesis to live; hence, carnivores
indirectly depends on photosynthesis as well.

2. Describe the pathway of electron transfer from photosystem II to photosystem I in light dependent
reaction. (3pts)

In the photosystem II (PSII) reaction center, energy from sunlight is used to extract electrons from
water while the electron is within the plastoquinone. The electrons continue to travel through the
electron transport chain, through the plastocyanin to photosystem I (PSI), which reduces NADP+ to
NADPH. The electron transport chain moves protons across the thylakoid membrane into the lumen.

3. What are the roles of ATP and NADPH in photosynthesis? (3pts)

ATP and NADPH are the main product of the Light reactions of photosynthesis. ATP provides the free
energy to power the Calvin Cycle (a.k.a. the Dark reactions). NADPH is the key electron donor (reducing
agent). This provides the hydrogen and electrons needed to combine carbon dioxide into carbohydrate
molecules. Using ATP and NADPH, enzymes in the stroma of the chloroplasts can synthesize
De La Salle Lipa • Integrated School • Senior High School • Science Learning Area • GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
sugar/carbohydrate precursors out of CO2 and water. Moreover, ATP is also used to convert back 5 triose
phosphates into 3 ribulose biphosphate.

4. Which part of light-independent reactions would be affected if a cell could not produce the enzyme
RuBisCo? Why? (3pts)

If the cell couldn’t produce the enzyme RuBisCo, the whole light-independent reaction will be affected.
This is because each stage is a prerequisite of the other. First, the direct effect would be to the carbon
fixation stage; CO2 wouldn’t be attached to the RuBP. This would mean that there would be no GP formed.
No GP means there will be nothing to reduce in the second stage (Reduction of Glycerate-3-Phosphate).
Since GP couldn’t be reduced to TP, there is no TP produced. Having no TP will mean that there will be no
sugar and there will be nothing to convert back into RuBP. As shown. when there is no RuBisCo, the whole
light-independent reaction will fail to function.

5. Why are stomata usually more abundant in the lower epidermis of the leaf? (2pts)

The stomata are usually more abundant in the lower epidermis of the leaf because of the shade it
provides. This shade will lessen the chance of water evaporating, which gives the plant more time to
absorb the water. Not only that, the sunlight won’t be directly hitting it; this means that it will be
experiencing a lower temperature compared to the ones on the upper epidermis of the leaf. This, in turn,
will let their stomata be much more open or open in a longer time.

6. On a hot dry day, plants close their stomata to conserve water. What impact will this have on
photosynthesis? (3pts)

The stomata is an opening in the plant’s tissue for carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water to pass through.
Since the plant will instinctively close its stomata to conserve water, it will cut off its supply of carbon
dioxide. The lack of carbon dioxide inside the plant will ultimately hinder or stop the process of
photosynthesis. This is because there will be no carbon to be attached to the RuBP to make it into 2
Glycerate-3-Phosphate. No GP would mean no TP; no TP means no sugar molecule. In a nutshell, plants
closing their stomata will not only allow them to conserve water but also stop photosynthesizing.

References:
C3, C4, and CAM plants (article). (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/photosynthesis-in-plants/photorespiration--c3-
c4-cam-plants/a/c3-c4-and-cam-plants-agriculture

Light Dependent ReactionsBioNinja. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ib.bioninja.com.au/higher-level/topic-

8-metabolism-cell/untitled-2/light-dependent-reactions.html

What Thylakoids Are and How They Work. (2017, January 27). Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/thylakoid-definition-and-function-4125710

What's the Function of Stomata in Plant Tissue? (2017, January 30). Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/plant-stomata-function-4126012