Chapter 7 Reading Questions

1. Describe the three major groups of photosynthetic organisms.

Cyanobacteria, algae, and land plants are the three major groups of photosynthetic organisms. They are
all autotrophs, making their own food. They output large amounts of oxygen and carbohydrates, which
feed other plants (heterotrophs).

2. Distinguish the part of a chloroplast that absorbs solar energy from the part that forms a
carbohydrate.

The thylakoid membrane inside the granum of a plant contains chlorophyll, which absorbs solar energy.
However, the stroma, a semifluid interior to the chloroplast, reduces carbon dioxide into carbohydrate.

3. Explain how redox reactions are used in photosynthesis.

Redox reaction is short for oxidation-reduction reaction, which involves a balanced loss of hydrogen
atoms and the gain of hydrogen atoms among two molecules, respectively. In photosynthesis, the
reduction of CO2 to CH2O and the oxidation of H2O to O2 is driven by solar energy (2 hydrogens gained or
lost). This process takes a LOT of energy, namely, ATP. To carry the electrons needed to reduce carbon
dioxide, NADP+ comes in as a coenzyme.

4. Describe the role of enzymes during photosynthesis.

Enzymes play a vast number of roles in photosynthesis. During the redox reaction, NADP + is reduced
(accepts two electrons and one hydrogen atom) and turns into NADPH, then is reoxidized.

5. Distinguish visible light from the electromagnetic spectrum.

Visible light is the wavelengths from 380-750 nm, a subset of the electromagnetic spectrum. Any higher
or lower-energy wavelengths are blocked by ozone or water/CO2, respectively. Most organisms, thus,
are centered around detecting and using visible light.

6. Evaluate the energy level of molecules that go in and come out of the light reaction.

The energy level of molecules that go into the light reaction is higher than when they come out. Take
NADP+, for example, which gains two electrons and a H+ ion, becoming NADPH (-1 charge). More
generally, the solar energy absorbed energizes electrons in the reaction center of Photosystem II and
reduce the charge of electron acceptors.

7. Describe the three major steps of the Calvin cycle.

The three major steps of the Calvin Cycle are: carbon dioxide fixation, carbon dioxide reduction, and
regeneration of RuBP. The first step is when atmospheric CO2 is attached to the 5-carbon protein RuBP
creating a 6-carbon molecule which splits into 2 3PG molecules. Each of them are then reduced with
energy and electrons to BPG then G3P in the second step, which also oxidizes NADPH into NADP+ and
turns ATP into ADP and a phosphate. In the third step, five molecules of G3P have to regenerate three
molecules of RuBP every three turns, (recall six are produced for three turns) yielding a net of one G3P
molecule.

8. Illustrate why it takes 3 turns of the Calvin cycle to produce 1 G3P.

As described previously, five molecules of G3P have to regenerate three molecules of RuBP every three
turns, (recall six are produced for three turns) yielding a net of one G3P molecule. See the following
diagram:

9. Describe some plants that use a method of photosynthesis other than C3 photosynthesis.

Some plants, like wheat, rice, and oats, do C3 photosynthesis, but other plants, such as sugar cane, corn,
and Bermuda grass, do C4 photosynthesis. This means that they don’t need or use stomata to deliver
CO2 to the Calvin cycle. Also, CAM plants, such as pineapple, fix CO2 at night.

10. Explain why C4 photosynthesis is advantageous in hot, dry conditions.

C4 photosynthesis is advantageous in hot and dry conditions because it helps to conserve water that
would be lost to the hot sun by closing the stomata. C3 plants, however, would lose a lot more water,
putting them at risk of death and slowing their photosynthesis twofold or threefold.