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2.9 Photosynthesis
The range of wavelengths of visible light is 400 to 700 nanometres -
Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)
Violet and blue are the shorter wavelengths and red is the longest wavelength.
Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light most effectively
and reflects green light more than other colors.

White does not absorb visible light - white is the mixture of all the colors, reflects all
Black does not emit any light - nothing to reflect, absorbs all

For example, the pigment in a gentian flower absorbs all

colors except blue. It appears blue to us because this part of the
sunlight is reflected and can pass into our eye, to be detected by cells in
the retina.
Thylakoid membrane - site of pigments for eukaryotes
Photosynthetic lamellae (flat membrane) - prokaryotes

2.9 Photosynthesis 1
 Action - the rate of photosynthesis at different wavelengths of light, Absorption - the amount of light of
different wavelengths absorbed by the different pigments.

They look similar as there is a dependency between the amount of light absorbed by the
pigments and the rate of photosynthesis.

Oxygen production in photosynthesis

4H2O → 4e + 4H(+) + O2

💡 A chemical reaction that involves putting in energy is described as

endothermic.

Light-dependent - in thylakoid
1) Produce O2 during photolysis (break down a water molecule - H is used in a light-
dependent reaction)

2) Form ATP out of ADP during photophosphorylation

2.9 Photosynthesis 2
 Light-independent - in stroma
1) H (from photolysis of water) + CO2 + ATP form sugar during the Calvin cycle

NOTES:
The action spectrum shows that there is some use of green
light in photosynthesis, even though chlorophyll absorbs
little of it. This is because accessory photosynthetic
pigments are present, which absorb some green light that
can be used in photosynthesis.

2.9 Photosynthesis 3