PHOTOSYNTHESIS: THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROCESS

BASIC FEATURES AND IMPORTANCE

STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PLANTS AND THE SUN’S ENERGY 1. LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
SUN- The ultimate source of energy. 2. LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTION

PRODUCERS- Make their own food.

CONSUMERS- Cannot make their own food.

All organisms depend directly or indirectly on plants for

food.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS Light-Dependent Reaction (Light–Trapping Phase)

is the process where plants transform light energy into  Capture light energy to power photosynthesis.
chemical energy to make their own food.  Take place in the thylakoids.
 Pigments in the thylakoid membranes form
THE PROCESS protein complexes called Photosystem II and
In Photosystem I.
photosynthesis, Photosystems harvest photons to charge up energy
carbon dioxide carrying molecules that will power the dark reactions.
reacts with water
by capturing the Energy Carrying Molecules: ATP & NADP+
sun’s energy to
produce sugar and ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
oxygen. - Energy used by
cells to power all
the reactions.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS is carried out by: - made when a third
phosphate group is
Photoautotrophs/Producers added to ADP
- They make their own food and energy from the sun. (diphosphate, di =
- certain bacteria plants: most algae, cyanobacteria, the “cellular currency”
phytoplankton - two).
adenosine = adenine + ribose
Why are Plants Green? NADP+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
phosphate)
PIGMENTS - hold excited
Chlorophyll electrons (e-)
● Chlorophyll is a green pigment.
charged from
● Absorbs and traps sunlight to power the light energy
photosynthesis harvested by
chlorophyll to
● Absorbs all wavelength colors except green become
(giving plants their green appearance) NADPH.
SEASONAL CHANGES Light-Independent Reaction (Sugar – Building
Carotenoids Phase)
● pigments responsible for the yellow, orange,  Do not need light energy to power their
and red colors of fruits and leaves. reactions
 Occur in the stroma of chloroplasts (the space
that surrounds thylakoids) and fix carbon
dioxide into glucose.
 Chemical energy (from the light reactions) and
CO2 (from the atmosphere) are used to
produce organic compounds (like glucose).
 Also called “Calvin Cycle” or Dark reactions
SITE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS: Phase 1: Carbon Fixation
Photosynthesis takes place in
the Chloroplasts. Phase 2: Reduction
Phase 3: Regeneration
Lined by pigments such as chlorophyll and
carotenoids.

Overall equation of the aerobic respiration

Anaerobic Respiration
● It involves the use of other molecules as the
final electron acceptor except for oxygen.
Chlorophyll is a green pigment and is the most ● Fermentation is another pathway of anaerobic
abundant.
respiration. There are two kinds of
fermentation: lactic acid and alcoholic.
CELLULAR RESPIRATION
Fermentation
● Is a series of chemical reactions in the ● Fermentation also starts with glycolysis which
mitochondrion where molecules of glucose are results in the formation of ATP, NADH, and
broken down to make CO2, water, and ATP. pyruvate.
● Occurs both in plants and animals
○ However, pyruvate molecules do not go
through oxidation, Krebs cycle, and
ETC.
SITE OF RESPIRATION:
Lactic Acid Fermentation
Mitochondrion “The powerhouse of the cell”
● Converts the pyruvate molecules to lactate.
● This anaerobic pathway is common to obligate
Steps in Cellular Respiration
anaerobes. It also happens in our muscle
1. Glycolysis cells during extraneous physical activities.
2. Krebs Cycle ● Groups of bacteria that undergo lactic acid
3. Electron Transport fermentation:

Glycolysis “breaking glucose” 1. Homofermentative LAB

● Takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell 2. Heterofermentative LAB
● Anaerobic process (occurs without oxygen)
● Glucose is broken down into 2 pyruvate
compounds
● 2 ATP are produced Homofermentative Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
● E-carrier: 2 NADH produced
1. an organism that utilizes glucose molecules to
produce lactic acid alone
Fermentation
2. used as starters of dairy products that help
● Alcoholic Fermentation (Yeast)
improve the products’ flavor
Pyruvate + NADH → Ethanol + NAD + CO2
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a homofermentative
Used in baking, beer & wine production bacteria used in yogurt production.

● Lactic Acid Fermentation (most organisms) Heterofermentative Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
Pyruvate + NADH → Lactic Acid + NAD 1. organisms that produce ethanol and carbon
dioxide along with lactic acid as their by-
Used in muscle cells products
2. rarely used
Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle) as starters
● Occurs in matrix of dairy
● Aerobic process products
● Sir Hans Krebs – discovered the chemical
reaction Alcoholic
● Net production of: Fermentation
● 2 ATP ● converts pyruvate molecules to ethanol
● 4 CO2 ● used in bread and winemaking
● 2 FADH
● 6 NADH Summary of the products of anaerobic respiration

Electron Transport Chain

● Occurs in the inner membrane
● NADH & FADH are oxidized in the electron
transport chain in mitochondria cristae
 ● e-, H+ and O2 combine to make H20
● ATP synthase pumps H+ across membrane to
make ATP

Products of Glycolysis and Krebs cycle

● ATP
● NADH
● FADH2

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Respiration

Aerobic Respiration
● Glycolysis
● Krebs cycle
● Electron transport chain
● Chemiosmosis

Application of fermentation
● Making bread
● Cheese production
● Wine making
● Yogurt production

● Anaerobic fermentation is the process by which

a glucose molecule is broken down to produce
energy in the absence of oxygen.
● Fermentation is the process by which pyruvate
is converted to either ethanol or lactate that
enables the oxidation of NADH to NAD+.
● The two fermentation processes are:
● Lactic acid fermentation is the process
involving the conversion of pyruvate molecules to
lactate through an enzyme called lactate
dehydrogenase.
● The products of anaerobic respiration are 2 ATP,
2 NADH, and 2 pyruvate molecules. When
pyruvate molecules undergo fermentation the
products are either ethanol or lactate.
● Fermentation is widely used in the processing of
dairy products and alcoholic beverages.
● Glycolysis is the process of breaking down
glucose molecules to generate energy and
electron carriers, which will be further utilized in
the electron transport chain in the mitochondria.

KREBS CYCLE

Hans Adolf Krebs (1900-1981)

● He is a German-British scientist who discovered
the Krebs cycle in 1930s.
Krebs cycle
It is also known as:
● citric acid cycle
● tricarboxylic cycle

Citric acid is the first product of the Krebs cycle,

which forms from the reaction between acetyl-CoA
and oxaloacetate.
Pyruvate
● There are two molecules of pyruvate produced
from glycolysis.

Sum it up!
● Krebs cycle is the process of oxidizing and
further breaking down two pyruvate molecules
to produce energy.
● In the transition reaction before the Krebs cycle,
acetyl-CoA is formed from pyruvate through
oxidation. CO2 and NADH are also produced in
this stage.
● The series of redox reactions during the Krebs
cycle produces NADH, FADH2, CO2, and GTP.
The CO2 is released into the environment. NADH
and FADH2 are used to produce more ATP in the
electron transport chain. GTP is used to drive
chemical reactions similar to how cells use ATP.