Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

CHAPTER 13. PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN HIGHER PLANTS

NOTES
➢ Photosynthesis is a physico-chemical process by which green plants use light energy (solar energy) to
synthesise organic compounds. So they are autotrophs.
➢ It is the basis of life on earth.
➢ Ultimately, all living forms depend on sunlight for energy.
➢ Importance of Photosynthesis:
• It is the primary source of all food on earth.
• It releases oxygen into the atmosphere.
EXPERIMENTS RELATED WITH PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1. Variegated leaf experiment
➢ Take a variegated leaf (or leaf partially covered with black paper) that was exposed to light.
➢ Test the leaves for starch. It shows that photosynthesis occurs only in green parts of the leaves in presence of
light.
2. Half-leaf experiment
➢ A part of a leaf is enclosed in a test tube containing KOH soaked cotton (which absorbs CO2).
➢ The other half of leaf is exposed to air.
➢ Place this setup in light for some time.
➢ Test the leaf for presence of starch. Exposed part shows positive for starch and portion in the tube shows
negative. This proves that CO2 is required for photosynthesis.
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
A. Experiments by Joseph Priestley (1770)
➢ Priestley performed experiments to prove the role of air in the growth of green plants.
➢ He discovered oxygen in 1774.
➢ He observed that a candle burning in a closed bell jar gets extinguished. Similarly, a mouse suffocated in
closed jar. He concluded that a burning candle or a breathing animal damage the air.
➢ He placed a mint plant in the same bell jar. He found that the mouse stayed alive and the candle continued to
burn.
➢ He hypothesised that plants restore to the air whatever breathing animals and burning candles remove.
B. Experiments by Jan Ingenhousz (1730-1799)
➢ He conducted the same experiment by placing in darkness and sunlight.
➢ He showed that sunlight is essential to the plant for purifying the air fouled by burning candles or animals.
➢ He repeated this experiment with an aquatic plant. It showed that in bright sunlight, small bubbles were formed
around green parts while in the dark they did not.
➢ Later he identified these bubbles to be of oxygen. Thus, he showed that only the green part of plants releases
O2.
C. Experiments by Julius von Sachs (1854)
➢ He proved that
• Glucose is produced when plants grow and it is usually stored as starch.
• Chlorophyll is located in special bodies (chloroplasts).
• Glucose is made in the green parts of plants.
D. Experiments by T.W Engelmann (1843 – 1909)
➢ He split the light using a prism into its spectral components and illuminated a green alga (Cladophora) placed
in a suspension of aerobic bacteria.
➢ The bacteria were used to detect the sites of O2 evolution.
➢ He observed that the bacteria accumulated mainly in the region of blue and red light of the split spectrum.
➢ It was a first described action spectrum of photosynthesis. It resembles the absorption
spectra of chlorophyll a & b.
➢ By the middle of 19th century, it is discovered that plants use light energy to make carbohydrates from CO2
& H2O.
➢ Empirical equation of the process of photosynthesis is

Where, [CH2O] represents a carbohydrate (e.g. glucose).

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Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

E. Experiments by Cornelius van Niel (1897-1985)

➢ Van Niel (microbiologist) conducted some studies in purple and green bacteria.
➢ He demonstrated that photosynthesis is a light-dependent reaction in which hydrogen from an oxidisable
compound reduces CO2 to carbohydrates.

➢ In plants, H2O is the hydrogen donor and is oxidised to O2.

➢ Purple & green sulphur bacteria use H2S as H-donor. So the ‘oxidation’ product is sulphur or sulphate and no
O2 is produced.
➢ Thus, he inferred that the O2 evolved by the green plant comes from H2O, not from CO2. This was later
proved by using radio isotopic techniques.
➢ Therefore, overall correct equation for photosynthesis is:

PHOTOSYNTHESIS: SITE & PIGMENTS

➢ Photosynthesis occurs in green leaves & other green parts.Chloroplasts present in the walls of mesophyll
cells of leaves. It helps to get optimum quantity of incident light.
➢ Chloroplast contains a membranous system. It consists of grana, stroma lamellae and matrix stroma.
➢ Each granum is a group of membrane-bound sacs called thylakoids (lamellae). They contain leaf pigments.
➢ The membrane system traps light energy and synthesise ATP and NADPH. It is called light reactions.
➢ In stroma, enzymatic reactions synthesize sugar, which in turn forms starch. It is called dark reactions
(carbon reactions). It does not mean that they occur in darkness or that they are not light dependent.

PIGMENTS INVOLVED IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS

➢ Pigments are substances that have ability to absorb light at specific wavelengths.
➢ Chromatography shows the following leaf pigments:
• Chlorophyll a (bright or blue green in chromatogram)
• Chlorophyll b (yellow green)
• Xanthophylls (yellow)
• Carotenoids (yellow to yellow-orange)
➢ Chlorophyll b, Xanthophylls and Carotenoids are Accessory pigments.
➢ Functions of accessory pigments:
• They absorb light at different wavelength and transfer the energy to chlorophyll a.
• They protect chlorophyll a from photo-oxidation.
➢ The absorption spectrum & action spectrum coincide closely showing that photosynthesis is maximum at
the blue & red regions of the spectrum.
➢ The graphs also show that chlorophyll a is the chief pigment associated with photosynthesis.

Graph showing absorption spectrum of chlorophyll a, b & carotenoids

Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone
Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

Graph showing action spectrum of photosynthesis

Graph showing action spectrum of photosynthesis superimposed on absorption spectrum of chlorophyll a

Photosystems
➢ Pigments are organised into two Photosystems called Photosystem I (PSI) & Photosystem II (PSII). These
are named in the sequence of their discovery.
➢ Each photosystem has a chlorophyll a and accessory pigments bound by proteins.
➢ All pigments (except one molecule of chlorophyll a) form a light harvesting complex (LHC or antennae).
➢ Single chlorophyll a acts as reaction centre.

➢ In PS I, the reaction centre absorbs light at 700 nm, and so called P700.
➢ In PS II, the reaction centre absorbs light at 680 nm, and so called P680.
LIGHT REACTION (PHOTOCHEMICAL PHASE)
➢ Light reactions include light absorption, water splitting, oxygen release and formation of ATP &
NADPH (high-energy chemical intermediates).
The Electron Transport
➢ When PS II absorbs red light of 680 nm wavelength, electrons are excited and transferred to an electron
acceptor.
➢ The electron acceptor passes them to a chain of electrons transport system consisting of cytochromes.
➢ This movement of electrons is downhill, in terms of redox potential scale.
➢ The electrons are transferred to the pigments of PS I.
➢ Simultaneously, electrons in PS I are also excited when they receive red light of 700 nm and are transferred
to another accepter molecule having a greater redox potential.
➢ These electrons are moved downhill to a molecule of NADP+. As a result, NADP+ is reduced to NADPH +
H+.
Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone
Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

➢ Transfer of electrons from PS II to PS I and finally downhill to NADP+ is called the Z scheme, due to its
zigzag shape. This shape is formed when all the carriers are placed in a sequence on a redox potential scale.

Z scheme of light reaction (Non-cyclic photo-phosphorylation)

Splitting of Water (Photolysis)
➢ The water splitting complex in PS II is located on the inner side of the thylakoid membrane.
➢ Water is split into H+, [O] and electrons.
2H2O → 4H+ + O2 + 4e−
➢ So, PS II can supply electrons continuously by replacing electrons from water splitting.
➢ Thus, PS II provides electrons needed to replace those removed from PS I.
➢ The protons (H+) are used to reduce NADP to NADPH.
➢ Oxygen is liberated as a by-product of photosynthesis.
Photo-phosphorylation
➢ The synthesis of ATP by cells (in mitochondria & chloroplasts) is called phosphorylation.
➢ Photo-phosphorylation is the synthesis of ATP from ADP in chloroplasts in presence of light.
➢ It occurs in 2 ways: Non- cyclic and Cyclic.
a) Non-cyclic photo-phosphorylation
➢ It occurs when the two photosystems work in a series, (first PS II and then PS I) through an electron transport
chain as seen in the Z scheme.
➢ Here, ATP & NADPH + H+ are synthesised.
➢ It is a non-cyclic process because the electrons lost by PS II do not come back to it but pass on to NADP+.
b) Cyclic photo-phosphorylation

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Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

➢ It occurs in stroma lamellae when only PS I is functional.

➢ The electron is circulated within the photosystem and the ATP synthesis occurs due to cyclic flow of electrons.
➢ The lamellae of grana have PS I & PS II. The stroma lamellae membranes lack PS II and NADP reductase.
➢ The electron does not pass on to NADP+ but is cycled back to PS I complex through electron transport chain.
➢ Here, only ATP is synthesised (no NADPH + H+).
➢ Cyclic photophosphorylation also occurs when only light of wavelengths beyond 680 nm are available.
Chemiosmotic Hypothesis

➢ It explains mechanism of ATP synthesis in chloroplast.

➢ Chemiosmosis: Movement of ions across a semipermeable membrane. It occurs
in chloroplast and mitochondria.
➢ Chemiosmosis needs a membrane, a proton pump, a proton gradient (across thylakoid membranes)
and ATP synthase.
➢ Splitting of water occurs on the inner side of the membrane. So, the protons accumulate in the lumen of
thylakoids.
➢ As electrons move through the photosystems, protons are transported across the membrane. It is due to the
removal of protons from the stroma for the following reasons:
• Primary electron accepter is located towards the outer side of the membrane. It transfers its electron to
an H carrier. So this molecule removes a proton from the stroma while transporting an electron. When this
molecule passes on its electron to the electron carrier on the inner side of the membrane, proton is released
into the lumen of the membrane.
• The NADP reductase enzyme is located on the stroma side of the membrane. Along with electrons coming
from PS I, protons are necessary to reduce NADP+. These protons are also removed from the stroma.
➢ Hence, protons in stroma are decreased but in lumen, protons are accumulated. It creates a proton gradient
across the thylakoid membrane and decrease in pH in the lumen.

➢ Breakdown of proton gradient leads to synthesis of ATP by ATP synthase enzyme.

➢ The ATP synthase consists of two parts:
• CF0: It is embedded in the membrane and forms a trans-membrane channel. It carries out facilitated diffusion
of protons across the membrane to the stroma. It results in breakdown of proton gradient.
• CF1: It protrudes on the outer surface of the thylakoid membrane. The energy due to breakdown of gradient
causes a conformational change in the CF1 particle. It makes the enzyme to synthesise ATP molecules.

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Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

➢ Energy is used to pump protons across a membrane, to create a gradient or a high concentration of protons
within the thylakoid lumen.
➢ ATP synthase has a channel for the diffusion of protons back across the membrane. This releases energy to
activate ATP synthase that catalyses formation of ATP.
DARK REACTION (BIOSYNTHETIC PHASE) - USE OF ATP & NADPH
➢ Products of light reaction are ATP, NADPH and O2.Dark reaction is the use of ATP and NADPH to drive
the processes for the synthesis of food (sugars).
➢ This phase does not directly depend on the light but is dependent on the products of the light reaction.
➢ It can be verified as follows: Immediately after light becomes unavailable, the biosynthetic process continues
for some time, and then stops. If light is available, the synthesis starts again.
➢ CO2 combines with H2O to form (CH2O)n or sugars.
➢ CO2 assimilation during photosynthesis is 2 types:
• C3 pathway: In this, first stable product of CO2 fixation is a C3 acid (3-phosphoglyceric acid -
PGA). Melvin Calvin discovered this using 14C in algal photosynthesis.
• C4 pathway: In this, first stable product is oxaloacetic acid (OAA), a 4-carbon (C4) organic acid.
C3 PATHWAY (CALVIN CYCLE)

➢ It occurs in all photosynthetic plants (C3 or C4 pathways).

➢ It has 3 stages: Carboxylation, Reduction & Regeneration.

1. Carboxylation of RuBP
➢ RuBP (ribulose bisphosphate - a 5-carbon ketose sugar) is the primary CO2 acceptor.
➢ It is the most crucial step. CO2 is fixed by RuBP to two 3-PGA in presence of the enzyme RuBP carboxylase.
➢ Since this enzyme also has an oxygenation activity it is called RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO).
➢ RuBisCO is the most abundant enzyme in the world.
2. Reduction
➢ It is a series of reactions leading to the glucose formation.
➢ Here, 2 ATP molecules for phosphorylation and two NADPH for reduction per CO2 molecule are used.
➢ Fixation of 6 CO2 molecules and 6 turns of the cycle are needed to remove one glucose molecule from the
pathway.
3. Regeneration of RuBP
➢ It is crucial for continuation of the cycle.
➢ It requires one ATP for phosphorylation to form RuBP.
➢ Hence for every CO2 molecule, 3 ATP molecules and 2 NADPH are required.
➢ It is probably to meet this difference in number of ATP and NADPH used in the dark reaction that the cyclic
phosphorylation takes place.
➢ To make 1 glucose molecule, 6 turns of the cycle are needed.

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Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

In Out
6 CO2 1 glucose
What does go in and come
18 ATP 18 ADP
out of the Calvin cycle?
12
12 NADP
NADPH
C4 PATHWAY (HATCH & SLACK PATHWAY)
➢ It is present in plants adapted to dry tropical regions.
➢ They also use C3 pathway as main biosynthetic pathway.
➢ The large cells around the vascular bundles of the C4 plants are called bundle sheath cells. Such anatomy is
called ‘Kranz’ anatomy (‘Kranz’ = ‘wreath’).
➢ The bundle sheath cells may form several layers around the vascular bundles.
➢ They have large number of chloroplasts, thick walls impervious to gas exchange and no intercellular spaces.
Steps of Hatch and Slack Pathway
➢ Primary CO2 acceptor is phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP) - a 3-carbon molecule seen in mesophyll cells. The
enzyme for this fixation is PEP carboxylase (PEPcase).
➢ The mesophyll cells lack RuBisCO enzyme.
➢ The C4 acid OAA is formed in the mesophyll cells.
➢ It then forms other 4-carbon acids like malic acid or aspartic acid. They are transported to bundle sheath cells.

➢ In the bundle sheath cells, C4 acids are broken down to release CO2 and a C3 molecule.
➢ The C3 molecule is transported back to mesophyll where it is converted to PEP again.
➢ The released CO2 enters the C3 pathway.
➢ Bundle sheath cells are rich in RuBisCO, but lack PEPcase. Thus, C3 pathway is common to C3 & C4 plants.
➢ C4 plants are special because:
• They have a special type of leaf anatomy (Kranz).
• They tolerate higher temperatures.
• They show a response to high light intensities.
• They lack photorespiration.
• They have greater productivity of biomass.
PHOTORESPIRATION
➢ In Calvin pathway, RuBP combines with CO2.

➢ Active site of RuBisCO can bind to CO2 & O2 – so the name.

➢ RuBisCO has a greater affinity for CO2 than for O2. This binding is competitive. Relative concentration of
O2 and CO2 determines which one will bind to the enzyme.
Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone
Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

➢ In C3 plants, some O2 bind to RuBisCO. Hence CO2 fixation is decreased. Here RuBP binds with O2 to form
one molecule of phosphoglycerate and phosphoglycolate. This pathway is called photorespiration.
➢ In this, there is no synthesis of sugars, ATP and NADPH. Hence photorespiration is a wasteful
process. Rather it causes the release of CO2 by using ATP.
➢ In C4 plants, photorespiration does not occur because they can increase CO2 concentration at the enzyme
site. This takes place when C4 acid from the mesophyll is broken down in the bundle cells to release CO2.
This minimises the oxygenase activity of RuBisCO.
➢ Due to the lack of photorespiration, productivity and yields are better in C4 plants. Also, these plants show
tolerance to higher temperatures.

Differences between C3 and C4 plants

C3 plants
1. Photosynthesis occurs in mesophyll cells. In mesophyll and bundle sheath cells.
2. Kranz anatomy is absent.
3. RuBP is the primary CO2 acceptor.
4. 3-PGA, a 3-C compound is the first
stable product.
5. Chloroplasts are of only one type
(granal).
6. Photorespiratory loss is high.
7. High CO2 compensation point (25-
-1
100 ml. CO2 l ).
8. Optimum temperature for photosynthesis
is about 25oC.
9. Photosynthetically less efficient and
productivity low.
10. E.g. Rice, wheat, bean, potato.
C4 plants
Present.
PEP is the primary CO2 acceptor.
OAA, a 4-C compound is the first stable
product.
Dimorphic (granal in mesophyll and agranal
in bundle sheath).
Photorespiration is absent or negligible.
Low CO2 compensation point (0-10 ml.
CO2 l-1).
About 35oC - 45oC.
Photosynthetically more efficient and
productivity high.
E.g. Maize, sugarcane, amaranth, sorghum.

FACTORS AFFECTING PHOTOSYNTHESIS

➢ Internal (plant) factors:
• Number, size, age & orientation of leaves, mesophyll cells and chloroplasts, internal CO2 concentration and
amount of chlorophyll.
• Plant factors depend on the genes and growth of the plant.
➢ External factors:
Sunlight, temperature, CO2 concentration and water.
Blackman’s Law of Limiting Factors (1905):
“If a biochemical process is affected by more than one factor, its rate is determined by the factor nearest to its
minimal value: it is the factor which directly affects the process if its quantity is changed.”
E.g. a plant with green leaf, optimal light & CO2 may not photosynthesize in very low temperature. If optimal
temperature is given, it will start photosynthesis.
Light
Light quality, light intensity and duration of exposure to light influence photosynthesis.

➢ There is a linear relationship between incident light and CO2 fixation rates at low light intensities.
Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone
Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

➢ At higher light intensities, the rate does not show further increase because other factors become limiting.
➢ Light saturation occurs at 10% of the full sunlight. Hence, except for plants in shade or in dense forests, light
is rarely a limiting factor in nature.
➢ High increase in incident light breaks down chlorophyll. It decreases photosynthesis.
Carbon dioxide Concentration
➢ CO2 is the major limiting factor for photosynthesis.
➢ CO2 concentration is very low in the atmosphere (0.03- 0.04%). Increase up to 0.05% cause increase in CO2
fixation rates. Beyond this level, it becomes damaging over longer periods.
➢ At low light, C3 and C4 plants do not respond to high CO2. At high light, they show increased rate of
photosynthesis.
➢ C4 plants show saturation at about 360 mlL-1.
➢ C3 plants respond to increased CO2 concentration and saturation is seen only beyond 450 mlL-1. Thus, current
availability of CO2 levels is limiting to the C3 plants.
➢ Due to response to higher CO2 concentration, C3 plants show increased photosynthesis and higher
productivity. This fact is used for some greenhouse crops (tomatoes, bell pepper etc). They are grown in CO2
enriched atmosphere.
Temperature
➢ Dark reactions, being enzymatic, are temperature controlled. Influence of temperature on Light reactions is
very less.
➢ The C4 plants respond to higher temperatures and show higher rate of photosynthesis.
➢ C3 plants have a much lower temperature optimum.
➢ The temperature optimum of plants also depends on their habitat. Tropical plants have a higher temperature
optimum than the plants adapted to temperate climates.
Water
➢ Water stress closes the stomata hence reduce the CO2 availability. Water stress also wilts leaves, thus reduce
the surface area of the leaves and their metabolic activity.

NCERT SOLUTIONS
Question 1: By looking at a plant externally can you tell whether a plant is C3 or C4? Why and how?
ANSWER: One cannot distinguish whether a plant is C3 or C4 by observing its leaves and other morphological
features externally. Unlike C3 plants, the leaves of C4 plants have a special anatomy called Kranz anatomy and
this difference can only be observed at the cellular level. For example, although wheat and maize are grasses,
wheat is a C3 plant, while maize is a C4 plant.

Question 2: By looking at which internal structure of a plant can you tell whether a plant is C 3 or C4?
Explain.
ANSWER: The leaves of C4 plants have a special anatomy called Kranz anatomy. This makes them different
from C3 plants. Special cells, known as bundle-sheath cells, surround the vascular bundles. These cells have a
large number of chloroplasts. They are thick-walled and have no intercellular spaces. They are also impervious
to gaseous exchange. All these anatomical features help prevent photorespiration in C4 plants, thereby increasing
their ability to photosynthesise.

Question 3: Even though a very few cells in a C4 plant carry out the biosynthetic – Calvin pathway, yet
they are highly productive. Can you discuss why?
ANSWER: The productivity of a plant is measured by the rate at which it photosynthesises. The amount of
carbon dioxide present in a plant is directly proportional to the rate of photosynthesis. C4 plants have a mechanism
for increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide. In C4 plants, the Calvin cycle occurs in the bundle-sheath
cells. The C4 compound (malic acid) from the mesophyll cells is broken down in the bundle-sheath cells. As a
result, CO2 is released. The increase in CO2 ensures that the enzyme RuBisCo does not act as an oxygenase, but
as a carboxylase. This prevents photorespiration and increases the rate of photosynthesis. Thus, C4 plants are
highly productive.

Question 4: RuBisCo is an enzyme that acts both as a carboxylase and oxygenase. Why do you think
RuBisCo carries out more carboxylation in C4 plants?
ANSWER: The enzyme RuBisCo is absent from the mesophyll cells of C4 plants. It is present in the bundle-
sheath cells surrounding the vascular bundles. In C4 plants, the Calvin cycle occurs in the bundle-sheath cells.

Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone

Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

The primary CO2 acceptor in the mesophyll cells is phosphoenol pyruvate – a three-carbon compound. It is
converted into the four-carbon compound oxaloacetic acid (OAA). OAA is further converted into malic acid.
Malic acid is transported to the bundle-sheath cells, where it undergoes decarboxylation and CO2 fixation occurs
by the Calvin cycle. This prevents the enzyme RuBisCo from acting as an oxygenase.

Question 5: Suppose there were plants that had a high concentration of Chlorophyll-b, but lacked
chlorophyll-a, would it carry out photosynthesis? Then why do plants have chlorophyll-b and other
accessory pigments?
ANSWER: Chlorophyll-a molecules act as antenna molecules. They get excited by absorbing light and emit
electrons during cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylations. They form the reaction centres for both
photosystems I and II. Chlorophyll-b and other photosynthetic pigments such as carotenoids and xanthophylls
act as accessory pigments. Their role is to absorb energy and transfer it to chlorophyll-a. Carotenoids and
xanthophylls also protect the chlorophyll molecule from photo-oxidation. Therefore, chlorophyll-a is essential
for photosynthesis.
If any plant were to lack chlorophyll-a and contain a high concentration of chlorophyll-b, then this plant would
not undergo photosynthesis.

Question 6: Why is the colour of a leaf kept in the dark frequently yellow, or pale green? Which pigment
do you think is more stable?
ANSWER: Since leaves require light to perform photosynthesis, the colour of a leaf kept in the dark changes
from a darker to a lighter shade of green. Sometimes, it also turns yellow. The production of the chlorophyll
pigment essential for photosynthesis is directly proportional to the amount of light available. In the absence of
light, the production of chlorophyll-a molecules stops and they get broken slowly. This changes the colour of the
leaf gradually to light green. During this process, the xanthophyll and carotenoid pigments become predominant,
causing the leaf to become yellow. These pigments are more stable as light is not essential for their production.
They are always present in plants.

Question 7: Look at leaves of the same plant on the shady side and compare it with the leaves on the sunny
side. Or, compare the potted plants kept in the sunlight with those in the shade. Which of them has leaves
that are darker green? Why?
ANSWER: Light is a limiting factor for photosynthesis. Leaves get lesser light for photosynthesis when they are
in shade. Therefore, the leaves or plants in shade perform lesser photosynthesis as compared to the leaves or
plants kept in sunlight.
In order to increase the rate of photosynthesis, the leaves present in shade have more chlorophyll pigments. This
increase in chlorophyll content increases the amount of light absorbed by the leaves, which in turn increases the
rate of photosynthesis. Therefore, the leaves or plants in shade are greener than the leaves or plants kept in the
sun.

Question 8: Figure 13.10 shows the effect of light on the rate of photosynthesis. Based on the graph, answer
the following questions:
(a) At which point/s (A, B or C) in the curve is light a limiting factor?
(b) What could be the limiting factor/s in region A?
(c) What do C and D represent on the curve?

Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone

Class XI Subject: Biology Chapter 13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

ANSWER:

(a) Generally, light is not a limiting factor. It becomes a limiting factor for plants growing in shade or under tree
canopies. In the given graph, light is a limiting factor at the point where photosynthesis is the minimum. The least
value for photosynthesis is in region A. Hence, light is a limiting factor in this region.
(b) Light is a limiting factor in region A. Water, temperature, and the concentration of carbon dioxide could also
be limiting factors in this region.
(c) Point D represents the optimum point and gives the light intensity at which the maximum photosynthesis is
recorded. The rate of photosynthesis remains constant after this point, even though the intensity of light increases
in region C.

Question 9: Give comparison between the following:

(a) C3 and C4 pathways, (b) Cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation
(c) Anatomy of leaf in C3 and C4 plants
ANSWER: (a) C3 and C4 pathways
C3 pathways
The primary acceptor of CO2 is RUBP – a five-
1.
carbon compound.
2. The first stable product is 3-phosphoglycerate.
It occurs only in the mesophyll cells of the
3.
leaves.
It is a slower process of carbon fixation and
4.
photo-respiratory losses are high.
(b) Cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylations
Cyclic photophosphorylation
1. It occurs only in photosystem I.
2. It involves only the synthesis of ATP.
In this process, photolysis of water does not occur.
3.
Therefore, oxygen is not produced.
4. In this process, electrons move in a closed circle.
(c) Anatomy of the leaves in C3 and C4 plants
C3 leaves
1. Bundle-sheath cells are absent
2. RuBisCo is present in the mesophyll cells.
The first stable compound produced is 3-
3.
phosphoglycerate –a three-carbon compound.
4. Photorespiration occurs
C4 pathways
The primary acceptor of CO2 is phosphoenol
1.
pyruvate – a three-carbon compound.
2. The first stable product is oxaloacetic acid.
It occurs in the mesophyll and bundle-sheath
3.
cells of the leaves.
It is a faster process of carbon fixation and
4.
photo-respiratory losses are low.
Non-cyclic photophosphorylation
1. It occurs in photosystems I and II.
It involves the synthesis of ATP and
2.
NADPH2.
In this process, photolysis of water takes
3.
place and oxygen is liberated.
In this process, electrons do not move in a
4.
closed circle.
C4 leaves
1. Bundle-sheath cells are present
2. RuBisCo is present in the bundle-sheath cells.
The first stable compound produced is
3.
oxaloacetic acid – a four-carbon compound.
4. Photorespiration does not occur

Shayar Singh, PGT – Biology. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khargone