Photosynthesis: I. Food Production II. Photosynthesis: Background

Photosynthesis
I. Food Production
II. Photosynthesis: Background
A. Steps
B. Location
III. Steps in Photosynthesis
A. Light Reaction/Chemiosmosis
B. Calvin Cycle
IV. Review
V. Photosynthesis/Atmosphere
A. Carbon Dioxide
B. Oxygen/Ozone
I. Food and Energy
Production
• Organisms can be classified as:
• Autotrophs: they convert inorganic
chemicals to organic chemicals (food).
Autotrophs are producers.
• Heterotrophs: they convert organic

chemicals to other organic chemicals.
Heterotrophs are consumers.
I. Autotrophs
• Produce food in two ways:
• Energy transfer from light:

photoautotrophs.
• Energy transfer from chemicals:

chemoautotrophs.
I. Photoautotrophs
• Green plants, some protists, some
bacteria.
• Use photosynthesis to capture energy

from sunlight and produce:
–Food we eat.
–Oxygen we breathe.
II. What is Photosynthesis?
• Photosynthesis is the process by which
autotrophic organisms use light energy
to make sugar and oxygen gas from
carbon dioxide and water.
Carbon Water Glucose Oxygen

dioxide gas
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
II. Two Steps in Photosynthesis
•Light Reactions:
Use: Sunlight, H2O
Makes: O2 ATP NADPH
Dark Reactions:
Use: CO2 ATP, NADPH
Makes: Sugars
II. Reactions in Photosynthesis
1. Light Dependent Reactions
2. Light Independent (Dark) Reactions

The Two Steps are linked by
ATP and NADPH
• The complete process of
photosynthesis consists of two linked
sets of reactions:
• The light reactions convert light energy

to chemical energy and produce O2
• The Calvin cycle uses chemical energy

from the light reactions and CO2 to
produce sugars (glucose).
II. Where Does Photosynthesis
Take Place?
• Photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts.
• A chloroplast contains:
–stroma, a fluid inside the inner
membrane.
–grana, (stacks of thylakoids).
• Each thylakoid contains chlorophyll.
–Chlorophyll is the green pigment that
captures light for photosynthesis.
Chloroplasts
Chloroplasts are Highly Structured,
Membrane-Rich Organelles
First Ingredient: Sunlight
Reflected
Light light
Chloroplast
Absorbed
light
Transmitted
light
Visible Spectrum Drives the
Light Reaction
Chlorophyll and Other
Photosynthetic Pigments Absorb
Light.
• These pigments absorb light energy,
and transfer this energy to electrons.
What light do they absorb?
• A graph of light absorbed versus

wavelength gives the absorption
spectrum for a given pigment.
Chlorophylls Absorb Some
Light and Transmit (Reflect)
Others
• Chlorophylls (chlorophyll a and chlorophyll
b), absorb red and blue light. Energy from
this light is used in photosynthesis.
• Chlorophylls transmit (reflect) green light;

this is why leave look green.
When Light Is Absorbed,
Electrons Enter an Excited
State
• When a photon of the correct
wavelength strikes chlorophyll, its
energy is absorbed.
• This “excites”—(raises to a higher

energy level) an electron, giving it
more potential energy.
Energy State of Electrons in
Chlorophyll
How Do the Chlorophyll
Molecules in Leaves Work?
• Chlorophyll molecules work in groups.
• 200-300 chlorophyll molecules and other
molecules form a complex, known as a
photosystem.
• Each photosystem has:

– an antenna
– a reaction center
Photosystem II is in the Thylakoids
How Does Photosystem II
Work?
• When photons hit the antenna
complex, their energy is absorbed by a
chlorophyll molecule.
• The energy is passed to nearby
chlorophyll molecules.
• Energy is transmitted from chlorophyll
to chlorophyll molecule until it reaches
the reaction center.
The Reaction Center
Energy is passed to
the reaction center,
exciting an electron
which is passed to an
electron acceptor,
transforming
electromagnetic
energy into chemical
energy.
Higher
Energy of electron
Photon produced via

proton-motive force
Electron is replaced by splitting

water, producing oxygen
Chlorophyll
Lower
Making ATP in the Light Reaction
• Electron transport chains are arranged
with the photosystems in the thylakoid
membranes and pump H+ through that
membrane.
–The flow of H+ back through the
membrane is harnessed by ATP
synthase to make ATP.
–In the stroma, the H+ ions combine
with NADP+ to form NADPH.
Proton Pumping and ATP Production
Stroma
ATP synthase
Photophos-
phorylation
Photon
Antenna Photosystem II Cytochrome
complex complex
Proton-
motive
force
Thylakoid lumen Plastoquinone (PQ)

(low pH)
Two Reaction Centers
There are two types of reaction centers:
• photosystem II and photosystem I.
These work together to produce an

enhancement effect in which
photosynthesis more than doubles when
cells are exposed to two different
wavelengths of light.
How Does Photosystem I
Work?
• In algae and land plants, photosystem I
reduces NADP+ to NADPH which carries
stored energy as electrons and protons.
•The NADPH is used in the Calvin cycle

(dark reaction) to make glucose.
Photosystem I
• Excited electrons from the reaction
center of photosystem I are passed
down an electron transport chain to
ferredoxin.
• An enzyme transfers a proton and two
electrons from ferredoxin to NADP+,
forming NADPH, an electron carrier.
• Photosystem I is anchored in the
thylakoid membrane.
Photosystem I
Light Reaction Generates Energy
Primary
electron acceptor
Primary
electron acceptor
Photons
Energy for
synthesis of
PHOTOSYSTEM I
PHOTOSYSTEM II by
chemiosmosis
Summary of the Light Reaction
Key Events in Light Reaction
• Two connected photosystems (II and I)

collect photons of light and transfer the
energy to chlorophyll electrons.
• The excited electrons are transferred to

electron transport chains.
• ATP, NADPH and O2 are produced

Electron Dynamics in Photosynthesis
• Where do the electrons come from?
• In photosystem II, electrons are captured by

splitting water
• In photosystem I, electrons come from
photosystem II
Plants produce O2 by splitting
water
• The O2 liberated by photosynthesis is made
from the oxygen in water
Electron Flow in the Light
Reactions
Key Question: Which makes ATP, which makes NADPH?

THE CALVIN CYCLE:
CONVERTING CO2 TO SUGARS
• The Calvin cycle occurs in
the stroma of the INPUT
chloroplast.
–This is where carbon
fixation takes place and CALVIN
CYCLE
sugar is manufactured
–Powered by ATP and
NADH2
OUTPUT
What the Calvin Cycle Does
• The Calvin cycle constructs G3P (a 3
carbon molecule) using:
–carbon from atmospheric CO2
–electrons and H+ from NADPH
–energy from ATP
• This energy-rich three-carbon sugar is
then converted into glucose (six
carbons).
• (1) Carbon Fixation: CO2 reacts with RuBP,
producing two 3-phosphoglycerate molecules.
• (2) Reduction: The phosphoglycerate

molecules are phosphorylated by ATP and
reduced by NADPH to produce
glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P). Some
G3P is used to make glucose.
• (3) Reduction: The remaining G3P is used in

reactions to regenerate RuBP.
Summary of Photosynthesis
1. Electrons from water are used to make NADPH
2. Protons pumped across the membrane are used to
make ATP, can become part of NADPH, or move
back into the thylakoid space from the stroma.
Photosynthesis and the
Atmosphere
• Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere is
produced by photosynthesis.
• Photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere and stores the
carbon in the form of sugars, wood, and
other plant parts.
• This stored carbon dioxide is put back
into the atmosphere by burning fossil
fuels.
Carbon Dioxide Cycle
• Photosynthesis removes carbon

dioxide from atmosphere.
• Recycling of biological materials (rot,
decay, etc) adds carbon dioxide to
the atmosphere.
• Processes reach an equilibrium.
• Human activity (burning fossil fuels)
disturbs this equilibrium.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS, SOLAR
RADIATION, AND EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE
Due to the increased burning of fossil
fuels, atmospheric CO2 is increasing.
–CO2 warms Earth’s surface by

trapping heat in the atmosphere.
–This is called the greenhouse effect.

Sunlight
ATMOSPHERE
Radiant heat
trapped by CO2
and other gases
Change in CO2 Concentration
Oxygen and the Ozone Layer
• The O2 in the atmosphere results from
photosynthesis.
–Solar radiation converts O2 high in
the atmosphere to ozone (O3).
–Ozone shields organisms on the
Earth’s surface from the damaging
effects of UV radiation.
Ozone Formation/Destruction
• Ozone formation is a natural process
caused by solar radiation.
• Ozone destruction is a natural process
caused by chemical reactions between
ozone and other atmospheric
compounds.
• Human activity (CFC production) greatly
increased destruction of ozone, shifting
equilibrium toward destruction.
Ozone Levels
Impact of Ozone Depletion
• Less ozone – more ultraviolet
radiation reaches surface.
• Increases risk of skin cancer.
Non-MelanomaSkin Cancer
Cases
Melanoma Cases
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6421a6.htm?s_cid=mm6421a6_w
Cases may double by 2030 according to CDC

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Photosynthesis

• Heterotrophs: they convert organic

• Energy transfer from light:

• Energy transfer from chemicals:

• Use photosynthesis to capture energy

Carbon Water Glucose Oxygen

2. Light Independent (Dark) Reactions

• The light reactions convert light energy

• The Calvin cycle uses chemical energy

What light do they absorb?

• A graph of light absorbed versus

• Chlorophylls transmit (reflect) green light;

• This “excites”—(raises to a higher

• Each photosystem has:

Photon produced via

Electron is replaced by splitting

Thylakoid lumen Plastoquinone (PQ)

These work together to produce an

•The NADPH is used in the Calvin cycle

• Two connected photosystems (II and I)

• The excited electrons are transferred to

• ATP, NADPH and O2 are produced

• Where do the electrons come from?

• In photosystem II, electrons are captured by

Key Question: Which makes ATP, which makes NADPH?

• (2) Reduction: The phosphoglycerate

• (3) Reduction: The remaining G3P is used in

• Photosynthesis removes carbon

–CO2 warms Earth’s surface by

–This is called the greenhouse effect.

Cases may double by 2030 according to CDC

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