THE BASICS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

•  Almost all plants are photosynthetic
photosynthetic autotrophs, as
are some bacteria and protists
 –  Autotrophs generate
generate their own organic
organic matter through
photosynthesis
 – Sunlight energy is transformed to energy stored in the
form of chemical bonds

(c) Euglena (d) Cyanobacteria

(b) Kelp
(a) Mosses, ferns, and
 flowerin
 flower ingg plants
 

Light Energy Harvested by Plants &

Other Photosynthetic
Photosynthetic Autotrophs

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6

O2
 

Food Chain
 

THE FOOD WEB

 

Electromagnetic Spectrum and

Visible Light
Gamma Infrared &
rays X-rays UV Microwaves Radio waves

Visible light

Wavelength (nm)
 

WHY ARE PLANTS GREEN?

Different wavelengths of visible light are seen by
the human eye as different colors.

Gamma Micro- Radio

X-rays UV Infrared
rays waves waves

Visible light

Wavelength (nm)
 

The feathers of male cardinals

are loaded with carotenoid
pigments. These pigments
absorb some wavelengths of
light and reflect others.

Sunlight minus absorbed

wavelengths or colors
equals the apparent color
of an object.
 

Why are plants green?

Transmitted llight
ight
 

WHY ARE PLANTS GREEN?

Plant Cells
have Green
Chloroplasts

The thylakoid

membrane
chloroplast of
is the
impregnated with
photosynthetic
pigments (i.e.,
chlorophylls,
carotenoids).
 

THE COLOR OF LIGHT SEEN IS THE

COLOR NOT
NOT ABSORBED

• Chloroplasts
absorb light Reflected
Light light
energy and
convert it to
chemical energy

Absorbed
light

Transmitted Chloroplast
light
 

 AN OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS

• 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
 

 AN OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• The light reactions
convert solar Light
Chloroplast
energy to chemical
energy NADP  

 – Produc
Producee ATP
ATP & NADPH ADP

+P Calvin
• The Calvin cycle makes Light
reactions
cycle

sugar from carbon

dioxide
 –  ATP
 ATP generated by the light
reactions provides the energy
for sugar synthesis
 – The NADPH produced by the
light reactions provides the
electrons for the reduction of
carbon dioxide to glucose
 

Chloroplasts: Sites of Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis
 – Occurs in chloroplasts, organelles in certain
plants
 – All
 – All green plant parts have chloroplasts and carry
out photosynthesis
• The leaves have the most chloroplasts

• The green color comes from chlorophyll in the

chloroplasts
• The pigments absorb light energy
 

Photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts

• In most plants, photosynthes

photosynthesisis occurs
primarily in the leaves, in the chloroplasts
•  A chloroplast contains:
 – stroma, a fluid
 – grana, stacks of thylakoids
• The thylakoids contain chlorophyll
 – Chlorophyll is the green pigment that captures
light for photosynthesis
 

• The location and structure of chloroplasts

Chloroplast

LEAF CROSS SECTION MESOPHYLL CELL

LEAF

Mesophyll

CHLOROPLAST Intermembrane space

Outer 
membrane

Granum Inner 
membrane
Grana Stroma Thylakoid
Stroma Thylakoid compartment
 

Chloroplast Pigments

• Chloroplasts contain several pigments

 – Chlorophyll a
 – Chlorophyll b
 – Carotenoids

Figure 7.7
 

Chlorophyll a & b
•Chl a has a methyl
group

•Chl b has a carbonyl

group
Porphyrin ring
delocalized e-

Phytol tail
 

Different pigments absorb light

differently
 

Loss of energy due to heat

Excitation of chlorophyll
chlorophyll causes the photons of light to be
in a chloroplast less energetic.
Less energy translates into
longer wavelength.
e  
Excited
2 state Energy = (Planck’s constant) x
(velocity of light)/(wavelength of
light)
Heat

Transition toward
toward the red end of
Light the visible spectrum.
Light
(fluorescence)
Photon

Ground
state
Chlorophyll
molecule

(a) Absorption
Absorption of a photon

(b) fluorescence of isolated chlorophyll in solution

 

Cyclic Photophospho
Photophosphorylation
rylation
• Process for ATP generation associated with
some Photosynthetic Bacteria
• Reaction Center => 700 nm
 

• Two types
types of
photosystems
cooperate in the
light reactions
ATP
mill

Water-splitting NADPH-producing
photosystem photosystem
 

Noncyclic Photophosphorylation
• Photosystem II regains electrons by splitting water
water,,
leaving O2 gas as a by-product
Primary
electron acceptor 

Primary
electron acceptor 

Photons

Energy for 
synthesis of 

PHOTOSYSTEM I

PHOTOSYSTEM II by chemiosmosis
 

Plants produce O2 gas by splitting H2O

• The O2 liberated by photosynthesis is made

from the oxygen in water (H+ and e-)
 

How the Light Reactions Generate ATP and NADPH

Primary NADP  

electron
acceptor 
Energy
Primary to make 3
electron
acceptor  2

Light

Light

Primary
electron
acceptor 

Reaction-
1 center  NADPH-producing
chlorophyll photosystem

Water-splitting
photosystem
2 H + 1 /2
 
 

In the light reactions, electron transport

chains generate ATP, NADPH, & O2

• Two connected photosystems collect
photons of light and transfer the energy to
chlorophyll electrons
• The excited electrons are passed from the
primary electron acceptor to electron
transport chains
 – Their energy ends up in ATP and NADPH
 

Chemiosmosis powers ATPATP synthesis

synthesis
in the light reactions
• The 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

harness ed by A
harnessed ATP
TP syn
synthase
thase to make A
ATP
TP
 – In the stroma, the H ions combine with NADP+
+

to form NADPH
 

• The production
production of ATP
ATP by chemiosmosis
chemiosmosis in
photosynthesis

Thylakoid
compartment
(high H+) Light Light

Thylakoid
membrane

Antenna
molecules

Stroma ELECTRON TRANSPORT

(low H+) CHAIN

PHOTOSYSTEM II PHOTOSYSTEM I ATP SYNTHASE

 

•  A Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis Road Map

Chloroplast

Light
Stroma

Stack of  NADP  

thylakoids ADP
+P
Light Calvin
reactions cycle

Sugar used for 

 Cellular respiration
 Cellulose

 Starch


Other organic compounds
 

Review: Photosynthesis uses light

energy to make food molecules

•  A summary of
Chloroplast

the chemical Light

processes of
photosynthesis Photosystem II
Electron
transport CALVIN
chains CYCLE Stroma
Photosystem I

Cellular
respiration
Cellulose
Starch

LIGHT REACTIONS CALVIN CYCLE Other

organic
compounds