Module 7 - Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis
Module 7

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

7.1 Explain the significance of photosynthesis to other living organisms.

7.2 Describe the main structures involved in photosynthesis.
7.3 Identify the substrates and products of photosynthesis.

THE BIG IDEA

Another requirement to sustain the various functions an organism has to do is its

ability to acquire energy – directly or indirectly. All cells must be able to generate energy in
order to control various activities and guard their boundaries.
In this module, you will understand energy storage and production in a process known
as photosynthesis. Producers obtain energy from the environment, from the sun in order to
produce glucose which is a vital requirement for consumers’ energy.

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DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Energy transformation is important for living organisms since it fuels them up for their
daily functions. It occurs at the molecular and cellular levels. Organisms have distinct ways of
transforming energy – the autotrophic and heterotrophic pattern.
For some organisms, solar energy is transformed to chemical energy in a form that is
usable by the cell. Organisms who can transform their own energy is known as autotrophs or
producers. They form various organic compounds out of inorganic compounds, sometimes
through either photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. Examples of autotrophs include plants
and some bacteria.
Other organisms called heterotrophs cannot transform solar energy into chemical
energy but they have the ability to digest organic molecules manufactured by producers.
Animals , including humans, obtain energy by consuming producers or other organisms.
Photosynthesis
By definition, photosynthesis is a biological process wherein the light obtained from
the sun, along with some raw materials are eventually converted into glucose and oxygen.
The overall equation for photosynthesis is as follows:

The raw materials are carbon dioxide and water, while the products are glucose while
oxygen and water are the by products. Plants have various parts that take part in light
capturing, such as modified stems
and roots, but the principal organ
for photosynthesis is the leaf. On
the undersurface of leaves the
stomata is located, which functions
for the facilitation of the entry of
carbon dioxide and exit of oxygen.
How Plants Capture Light
These leaves contain cells
that have chloroplast in them. The
chloroplast is the organelle of the Ultrastructure of Leaves to Chloroplast

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plant cells that are known to contain

pigment which absorbs sunlight, making
photosynthesis possible. Within
chloroplasts are different structures that
help in the processing of the raw materials
of photosynthesis. The structures of the
chloroplast are the following:
● Thylakoids – disc like structures
● Grana – stack of thylakoids
● Stroma – fluid filled space around
the grana
● Thylakoid Space - space inside the
thylakoids
● Chlorophyll – pigment that absorb light Anatomy of a Chloroplast
Photosystems
A network of chlorophyll, and associated proteins found on the protein matrix of the
thylakoid membrane form a photosystem. Photosystems consist of an antennal complex and
a reaction center.
Antennal complex is the light harvesting complex since it gathers photons and
channel them to the reaction centers. On the other hand, reaction centers are where
photochemical reactions occur. There
are two photosystems embedded in
each chloroplast – Photosystem I and
Photosystem II. They were named by
the time they were identified not
based on their sequence of use in the
photosynthetic process.
Photosystem I has an
absorption peak of 700 nm, and its Photosystems I and II
reaction center is called P700. On the
other hand, photosystem II can accommodate up to 680 nm of photons, therefore its reaction
center is known as P680. These two photosystems are connected together by a complex of
electron carriers called cytochrome b6 – f complex.
Photosynthetic Reactions

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The two stages of photosynthesis

are light dependent reactions and light
independent reactions or the Calvin
Cycle. The first stage involves converting
light energy into ATP. In this process, the
electron carrier NADPH is also produced.
Light dependent reaction takes place in
the thylakoid membrane. During the
light independent reaction, carbon
dioxide and other compounds are
converted to glucose. This process
Light vs. Dark Reactions
occurs in the stroma of the chloroplasts.
Light Dependent Reaction

The light – dependent reaction of photosynthesis utilizes sunlight, water and other
light absorbing molecules. Through solar energy, water molecules are broken down into
simpler ions – hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen gas in a process called as photolysis.
Therefore, the oxygen given off by plants comes from the splitting of water molecules.
Light reaction in photosynthesis can be summarized as follows:
Photosystem II
1. Light energy strikes the chlorophyll bodies and the photosystem. Inside these
photosystems are electrons that get excited once sunlight is absorbed. Since these
electrons have high energy, they leave the chlorophyll and enter the electron
transport chain.
2. Splitting of water molecules occurs and oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons are the
products of this split. The electrons from the split water replace those who left the
photosystem. Oxygen is the by-product of light dependent reaction.
3. In the electron transport chain, electrons move down the chain and release energy
which results in the build-up of H+ ions inside the thylakoid. By this time, electrons
move into photosystem I.
4. It is the flow of hydrogen ions from
the inside to the outside of the
thylakoid membrane that is
responsible for the difference in the
concentration gradient. The protein
channel that facilitates this flow of
ions is called the ATP synthase. This
channel makes ATP molecules by
adding phosphate to ADP in a
process called phosphorylation. Light Dependent Reactants and Products
Photosystem I

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5. Just like what happened to Photosystem II, chlorophyll and other light absorbing
molecules absorb energy from the sunlight. Once again, electrons become energized
and leave the photosystem.
6. The energized electrons move down the electron transport chain, and are added to
the molecule called NADP+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) reducing
it to NADPH
The end products of light-dependent reactions include ATP and NADPH, while oxygen is
considered to be a waste product out of water splitting. NADPH and ATP will be utilized in the
Calvin Cycle, which ultimately produce glucose.
Light-Independent Reaction
The products of the light reaction are ATP and NADPH. In the light-independent
reaction, these products are utilized as sources of energy to fix and reduce carbon dioxide. It
is also known as Calvin Cycle after the American biochemist Melvin Calvin who discovered the
process occurring in the stroma. Even though it is called as the Dark reaction, it does not
necessarily happen at night, hence it just does not need sunlight to fuel the following
processes:
1. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere enters the plant thru the stomata of the leaves.
CO2 then combines with RuBP (ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate), a five carbon sugar
molecule. The process is called carbon dioxide fixation and it is catalyzed by an enzyme
known as ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase or Rubisco enzyme. The resulting
product from this fixation process is an unstable six-carbon sugar molecule that easily
splits into two molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG), which is a three-carbon
molecule.
2. In carbon dioxide reduction, there is an addition of electrons. Each 3-PG molecule
receives an additional phosphate from ATP of light-dependent reactions. This results
in the formation of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate (1,3-BPGA). 1,3-BPGA is then reduced by
2 electrons of NADPH which comes from the light-dependent reactions as well. This
results in the formation of PGAL (phosphoglyceraldehyde or glyceraldehyde 3-
phosphate, G3P). In every production of G3P, one carbon molecule is produced and
the rest of G3P moves forward in the regeneration of RuBP.

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Calvin Cycle

3. Since glucose has six carbon molecules, the cycle would have to repeat five times until
G3P produces five additional carbon molecules.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Books

Rea, M.A., et. al., (2018) General Biology 1, First Ed. Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City. Rex Book
Store, Inc.

Evangelista, L. (2017). General Bioloy 1 for senior high school. 839 EDSA, South Triangle,
Quezon City. C&E Publishing, Inc.

Pascual, C., Villanoy, et. al., (2017). General Biology 1 for senior high school. Intramuros,
Manila. Mindshapers Co., Inc.

Ramos, A.C.M. (2017). Exploring Life through Sciences: General Biology 1. Quezon Ave.,
Quezon City. Phoenix Publishing House Inc.

Dela Pena, R., et. al., (2016). General Biology. Pasay City, Philippines. JFS Publishing Services.

Hoefnagels, M. (2016). General Biology (Books 1 & 2). United States. McGrawHill Education.

Images

Photosynthesis Equation (Image). 2020. BioNinja. https://ib.bioninja.com.au/standard-

level/topic-2-molecular-biology/29-photosynthesis/photosynthesis.html

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Photosystems I and II (Image). 2020. BioNinja. https://ib.bioninja.com.au/higher-level/topic-

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

Calvin Cycle (Image). 2020. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-

biology/cellular energetics/photosynthesis/a/calvin-cycle

Light Dependent Reactants and Products (Image). 2020. Pinterest.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/394839092311381777/

How Photosynthesis Captures Light and Powers Life on Earth (Image). October 11, 2019. How
Stuff Works. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/photosynthesis.html

Light vs. Dark Reactions (Image). 2018. Khan Academy.

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-energy-and-transport/hs-
photosynthesis/a/hs-photosynthesis-review

Ultrastructure of Leaves to Chlorplast (Image). December 2017. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-structure-of-a-chloroplast-and-its-location-within-a-plant-
cell-and-leaf-Source_fig1_317923316

Anatomy of a Chloroplast (Image). 2010. Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/science/chloroplast

ABOUT MODULE

Module Creator/Curator: Ms. Larisa Mae C. Agtay

Template and Layout Designer: Mr. Florence Somoria

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