Bioenergetics

Introduction

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Introduction
• It is the quantitative study of energy relationships and energy
conversions inside a biological system
• These transformations obey the laws of thermodynamics
• All organisms need free energy
• Entire earth is powered directly or indirectly by the sun.
• But organisms cannot use the sola energy directly for their
metabolism, we can use chemicals energy such as sugars etc.
• Chloroplasts of the plants capture the solar energy and convert it into
chemical energy

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Introduction
• With the emergence of photosynthesis, molecular oxygen started
accumulating in the atmosphere.
• This made possible the evolution of respiration.
• During respiration energy is released and it is also coupled in the form
of ATP.
• This ATP is a chemical link between catabolism and Anabolism.
• During photosynthesis solar energy is stored in the form of
carbohydrates and that stored energy is released during respiration.

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

 Photosynthesis
• It is the process in which energy-poor inorganic oxidized compounds
of carbon and hydrogen are reduced to energy-rich carbohydrate
using the light energy.

• Water is used as a reactant in some reactions and released as a

product in others. So we can simplify this equation

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Photosynthesis
• The reaction of photosynthesis is almost exactly opposite to the reaction of
respiration.
• Photosynthesis uses the products of respiration and respiration uses the
products of photosynthesis
• Another difference is that photosynthesis only happens during the day but
respiration never stops.
• During darkness leaves respire using oxygen and release Carbon dioxide
• At dawn and duck when light intensity is low, the amount of oxygen
produced by photosynthesis is exactly the amount of oxygen utilized in
respiration, this is called the compensation point

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Water and photosynthesis
• Oxygen released in photosynthesis comes from water and it is used in
cellular respiration.
• In 1930s Van Neil hypothesized that plants split water for hydrogen
and release oxygen
• Four other scientists confirmed this in 1940s
• They used and isotopic tracer of oxygen to traces it’s movements
during the reactions

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option
 Light
The driving energy

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Light
• It is a form of energy (Radiation).
• It behaves both as a wave and particles (photons)
• The most important light for the life is the visible light (380nm to
750nm)
• It is the sunlight which is absorbed by the chlorophyll and converted
into the chemical energy.
• Only 1% of the light falling on the leaves is absorbed, the rest is
reflected.
• Absorption spectrum for chlorophyll indicates that it’s absorption is
maximum in blue(430nm) and red(670nm) parts of the spectrum

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Light
• Carotenoids absorb different wavelengths than chlorophylls.
• Action spectrum of these pigments indicate the relative effectiveness
of different wavelengths of light falling on these pigments
• It can be obtained by illuminating a plant with different wavelengths
and estimation the consumption of CO2 or production of Oxygen

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option
You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option
 Role of CO2 in
photosynthesis

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Role of CO2 in photosynthesis

• During the light dependent reaction, ATP and NADH are formed to
store the solar energy,

• During light independent reaction, energy of ATP and NADH is used to

reduce CO2 to form sugar.

• So CO2 is vital for photosynthesis.

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Role of CO2 in photosynthesis

• Terrestrial plants carry out about 10% of the world’s photosynthesis.

• Rest is done in the aquatic environment by using dissolved CO2,

bicarbonates and soluble carbonates in water.

• Air contains about 0.03-0.04% CO2.

• CO2 enters the leaves through stomata and gets dissolved in the
water in cells.

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option

Role of CO2 in photosynthesis

• Entry of CO2 depends upon

opening and closing of stomata.

• Stomata are adjustable pores in

the surface of leaves.

• They are usually open during the

day.

You can watch recordings of all lectures using ‘LEARN’ option