General

Biology 1

Energy
Transformation
Week 17
 Lesson Objectives

● Explain coupled reaction processes and describe the

role of ATP in energy coupling and transfer;
● Explain the importance of chlorophyll and other
pigments; and
● Describe the patterns of electron flow through light
reaction events.
 General Biology 1

Photosynthesis
 General Biology 1

The processes in all organisms—from bacteria to

humans—require energy. To get this energy, many
organisms access stored energy by eating other
organisms. But where does the stored energy in food
originate? All of this energy can be traced back to
photosynthesis.
 General Biology 1

Through photosynthesis, plants convert solar energy into

chemical energy, which is then used to build carbohydrate
molecules.

The energy used to hold these molecules together is

released when an organism breaks down food. Cells then
use this energy to perform work such as cellular
respiration.
 General Biology 1

Photosynthesis requires sunlight, carbon dioxide, and

water as starting reactants.

Then photosynthesis releases oxygen and produces

carbohydrate molecules – glucose. This sugar molecule
contains the energy that living things need to survive.
General Biology 1
 General Biology 1

Autotrophs are the only organism that can perform

photosynthesis; they require the presence of chlorophyll, a
specialized pigment that can absorb light and convert light energy
into chemical energy.

Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and water to assemble

glucose and releases oxygen into the air. Eukaryotic autotrophs,
such as plants and algae, have organelles called chloroplasts in
which photosynthesis takes place.
 General Biology 1

Process in photosynthesis:

1. Chloroplasts in the leaf traps sunlight/ light energy.

2. Water and minerals absorbed by the roots from the soil, flow
up through the stem and enter the leaf.

3. Carbon dioxide enters the leaf.

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4. Light energy, water and minerals, and carbon dioxide are

mixed together to make sugar/ food for the plant.

5. Sugar leaves the leaf and moves to different parts of the

plant

6. Oxygen leaves the leaf, through the stomata.

General Biology 1
 General Biology 1

Photosynthesis takes place in two sequential stages: the light-

dependent reactions and the light independent-reactions.

In light-dependent reactions, energy from sunlight is absorbed by

chlorophyll and that energy is converted into stored chemical
energy. In light-independent reactions, the chemical energy
harvested during light-dependent reactions drives the assembly of
sugar molecules from carbon dioxide.
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Therefore, although the light-independent reactions do not use

light as a reactant, they require the products of the light-
dependent reactions to function.

In addition, several enzymes of the light-independent reactions

are activated by light. The light-dependent reactions utilize certain
molecules to temporarily store the energy: These are referred to
as energy carriers.
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The energy carriers that move energy from light-dependent

reactions to light-independent reactions can be thought of
as “full” because they are rich in energy.

After the energy is released, the “empty” energy carriers

return to the light-dependent reaction to obtain more
energy.
General Biology 1
 General Biology 1

-End of Slide-