Photosynthesis

(Discovery of Photosynthesis)
Jan Baptista van Helmot (1580-1644)
Joseph Priestly (1733-1804)
Jan Ingen-Housz (1730-1799)
F.F. Blackman (1866-1947)

C.B. van Niel, 1930’s

-proposed a general formula
CO2 + H2O + light energy CH2O + H
-water as the source of oxygen
- Robin hill confirmed van Niel’s proposal that energy from the light reaction fuels carbon fixation.

Photon: a particle of light

: acts as discrete bundle of energy
: energy content of a photon is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the light
Photoelectric effect: removal of an electron from a molecule of light
: occurs when photons transfer energy to electron
Quantum state (excited state)

700 nm – 740 nm (visible light) – Photosynthetically Active Radiation (is the amount of light available
for photosynthesis, which is light in the 400 to 700 nanometer wavelength range)

Each pigment has a characteristic absorption spectrum

Porphyrin ring: a complex ring structure with alternating double and single bonds.
: magnesium ion at the center of the ring
Photons excite electron in the ring

Accessory pigments: secondary pigments absorbing light wavelengths other than those absorbed by
chlorophyll a
-increase the range of light wavelengths that can be used in photosynthesis
-include: chlorophyll b, carotenoids, phycobiliprotein
-carotenoids ion acts as antioxidant
 Photosynthesis
(Photosystem, Light-Dependent Reaction, Light-Independent Reaction)
Betacarotins- the most important of the carotenoids that serve as accessory pigments in
Photosynthesis. (Orange) (marami sa thylakoid)

Photosystem
1) An antenna complex of hundreds of accessory pigment molecules
2) Reaction center of one or more chlorophyll a molecules

Photosystem
1) The reaction center, the energy from the antenna complex is transferred to cholorophyll a
2) This energy causes an electron from chlorophyll to become excited
3) The excited electron is transferred from chlorophyll a to an electron acceptor

Melvin Calvin – Calvin-Benson Cycle – Dark reaction

LDR – granum – light

LIR- stroma – CO2

LDR – H2O-O2
LIR – C6H12O6

Light-Dependent Reaction has 4 stages

1) Primary photoevent- A photon light is captured by a pigment molecule (accessory pigment)
2) Charge separation – energy is transferred to the reaction center; an excited electron is
transferred to an electron acceptor
3) Electron transport- electron move through carriers to reduce NADP+
4) Chemiosmosis- produces ATP

Light-Dependent Reactions
In sulfur bacteria, only one photosystem is used for cyclin photophosphorylation
1) An electron joins a proton to produce hydrogen
2) An electron is recycled to chlorophyll
-this process drives the chemiosmotic synthesis of ATP

In chloroplast, two linked photosystems are used in noncyclin photophosphorylation

1) Photosystem I
-reaction center pigment (p700) with a peak of 700 nm
2) Photosystem II
-reaction center pigment (p680) has a peak absorption at 680 nm
-building up of electron
Photosystem II acts first:
-accessory pigments shuttle energy to the P680 reaction center
-excited electron from P680 are transferred to b6-f complex
-electron lost from P680 is replaced by an electron released from the splitting of water

b6-f complex is a series of electron carriers

-electron carrier molecules are embedded in the thylakoid membrane
-protons are pumped into the thylakoid space to form a proton gradient

Photosystem I (reduction of NAP+) (NADP+ reductase)

-receives energy from an antenna complex
-energy is shuttled to P700 reaction center
-excited electron is transferred to a membrane-bound electron carrier
-electron are used to reduce NADP+ to NADPH
-electrons lost from P700 are replaced from the b6-f complex

Photosystem II plastoquinone b6-f complex plastocyanin

Ferredoxin Photosystem I

The enzyme ATP uses proton gradient to convert ADP to ATP

ATP is produced via chemiosmosis
-ATP synthase is embedded in the thylakoid membrane
-Protons have accumulated in the thylakoid space
-protons move into the stroma only through ATP synthase

Carbon Fixation Reactions

To build carbohydrates, the cell need:
1) Energy
-ATP from light-dependent reactions

2) Reduction potential
-NADPH from photosystem I

Calvin Cycle
-biochemical pathway that allow for carbon fixation
-occurs in stroma
-uses ATP and NADPH as energy sources
-incorporates CO2 into organic molecules