Photosynthesis

Chloroplast Structure: Structure in relation to function (key points): 1. Thylakoid membranes provide large surface area for electron carriers to be embedded 2. Impermeable nature of thylakoid membrane to protons allow electrochemical proton gradient to be set up; 3. Contains stalk particles which have ATPase for the synthesis of ATP from ADP and Pi Chlorophylls: y y y Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. absorb mainly red and blue-violet light, reflecting green light Their chemical structure consists of o head made up of a porphyrin ring with a magnesium ion in the cent o a long hydrocarbon tail joined to its head by an ester linkage. Different side-chains on the head modify their absorption spectra.

Carotenoids: y y y y 2 main types: carotenes and xanthophylls. They are yellow, orange, red or brown pigments that absorb strongly in the blue-violet light spectrum. Usually masked by the green chlorophylls. Protect chlorophylls from excess light and from oxidation by oxygen produced during photosynthesis.

An action spectrum is a graph showing the effectiveness of different wavelengths of light in stimulating photosynthesis. It is a record of the amount of photosynthesis occurring at each wavelength of light. An absorption spectrum is a graph of relative absorbance of different wavelengths of light by a pigment. Light Dependent Reaction: Light-dependent reactions occur in the grana. The role of the reaction is to provide ATP

and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH + H+) for the light independent reaction.