Photosynthesis Inhibitors

1. Why do plants need to produce glucose? What do they use it for? List 4.

Plants need to produce glucose because it needs glucose. They use glucose to make ATP in cellular respiration,
to grow, to reproduce, and for active transport.

2.The triazine herbicides bind to molecules within the primary electron acceptor of photosystem II and
block electron flow. Describe the potential effects of the triazine herbicides on photosynthesis. Explain how
each would be influenced?

Water Oxygen NADPH ATP pH CO2 Glucose

Build None, H2O None, None, no Higher Build up, ATP None, CO2 cannot convert
up, cannot lose NADH proton in lumen and NADPH to glucose since no ATP
electro electrons needs gradient since from light and NADPH from the
ns electrons for since no less H+ reactions not inhibited light reactions
kept NADPH electrons there
3. The bipyridillium herbicides bind to electrons that would normally interact with Fd, therefore inhibiting its function. Using
the diagram below to guide you, describe the potential effects of the bipyridillium herbicides on photosynthesis.

Water Oxygen NADPH ATP pH CO2 Glucose

Oxidi Byproduct None, FD Formed Low in Build up since Less, ATP formed but no
zes to of water after PSII since H+ lumen, no NADH and NADPH so less electrons
O2 when and form not enough less glucose and energy and less glucose
oxidized NADPH prohibited H+
4. A plant is exposed to a high intensity of light (wavelength beyond 700nm) but is not effectively carrying out
photosynthesis. Predict why this might be the case.
High intensity light with a wavelength beyond 700nm would have a longer wavelength and less energy to excite electrons.
If the energy exciting electrons is not enough, there will not be enough energy to carry the electrons throughout the ETC
and there will not be enough energy for the photosystems to transport H+ across the membrane against its concentration
gradient, decreasing the proton gradient. Without a proton gradient, ATP production would not be efficient so the rest of
photosynthesis would not be carried out effectively due to a lack of ATP energy and energy to transport electrons to make
NADPH.

5. Briefly discuss how photosynthesis would take place in a prokaryotic cyanobacterium .

In a cyanobacterium, photosynthesis takes place in the membrane. Since cyanobacterium is small, it only
needs one photosystem to power photosynthesis so only photosystem I would be needed in a cyanobacteria.

4. The figure shows cyclic electron flow and short circuit. Using a photosystem related to the one below, this is one of the means green
sulfur bacteria use to produce ATP. What photosystem does it involve? What gets produced? How? Does NADH or oxygen get
produced? Explain.
 Cyclic electron flow involves PSI and ATP gets produced. ATP is produced by a proton gradient in the
thylakoid membrane. There is a higher amount of H+ in the lumen than in the stroma, creating a proton
gradient that powers ATP synthase to form ATP. NADH and oxygen to not get produced because H2O does
not lose electrons to make O2 because there is no PSII to give the electrons to there is no NADP+ to turn
into NADPH because only photosystem I is there with no electron transport chains. The electrons use to
power PSI is received from other sources.
6. The following diagram represents an experiment with isolated thylakoids. The thylakoids were first soaked in a solution at a pH of 4.
After the thylakoid space reached a pH of 4 , the thylakoids were transferred to a basic solution at pH 8. The thylakoids then made ATP in
the dark.

 Draw an enlargement of part of the thylakoid membrane in the beaker with the solution at pH 8.

 Draw ATP synthase.

 Label the areas of high and low H+ concentration.

 Show the direction protons flow through the enzyme.

 Show the reaction where ATP is synthesized.

 Would ATP end up in the thylakoid or outside of it?

ATP would end up outside

 Explain why the thylakoids in the experiment were able to make ATP in the dark.

The light in light-dependent reactions are used to energize electrons, and the energy in the electrons are harvested by the photosystems to
power H+ across the membrane so there is a proton gradient that H+ can follow to power ATP synthase. However, since the proton gradient
is already there to power the ATP synthase, light is not needed to create the proton gradient. ATP can be made in the dark because the
difference in pH creates the proton gradient that light creates that is needed to create ATP.