Photosynthesis: The Light-Dependent Reactions

Photosynthesis is divided into two sequential processes:

Part 1: The light-dependent reactions and

Part 2: Carbon fixation/the Calvin cycle.

The “Light Reactions” have three parts:

1. Photoexcitation
2. Electron Transport Chain
3. Chemiosmosis

Occurs in the thylakoid of the chloroplast. Groups of

molecules responsible for the light reactions are called
photosystems. Each photosystem has 3 components:

1. Antenna pigments/complex made up of 200-400 chlorophyll

molecules and/or accessory pigments
2. A Reaction Centre consisting of a transmembrane protein
complex containing a specialized chlorophyll a molecule along
with associated proteins
3. Primary electron acceptor (PEA)

There are two/2 photosystems in plants:

Photosystem I (PS I): Most excited by light at 700 nm; called P700.
Only contains chlorophyll a.
Photosystem II (PS II): Most excited by light at 680 nm; called
P680. Contains chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, xanthophylls and
anthocyanins. Was discovered after PSI, hence the II.

How Photosystems Capture Light Energy

1. Photons of light are absorbed by antenna/accessory pigments causing them to move from a ground state to
an excited state.
2. The “excitation” energy is passed along the antenna complex until it reaches the reaction centre.
3. Chlorophyll a in the reaction centre absorbs the energy and becomes ‘energized’.
4. The high-energy state of chlorophyll a causes it to emit two electrons.
5. The PEA takes the electrons from chlorophyll a.

This process is called photoexcitation.

STARTING WITH PHOTOEXCITATION
1) What initiates the light reactions?
A photon of light strikes the photosystem (II/P680)
2) Initially, at what potential energy level are the chlorophyll a
molecule’s electrons? At a “ground state”
3) What happens to the electron when a photon strikes it?
It becomes excited and passes the “excitation energy”
between antenna pigment molecules until it reaches the
reaction centre (chlorophyll a), which emits/loses the
electrons, which are transferred to the primary electron
acceptor (PEA).
4) What causes an emission of light (fluorescence) by a solution
of chlorophyll extract? Because there is no PEA to accept the
electron, the drop in energy as the electrons return to the ground state is released as light
(fluorescence).
5) Why do leaves that possess chlorophyll not fluoresce when exposed to light?
Because the energy (from the photon) is passed on to the PEA and ultimately used (to make ATP and
NADPH)
6) Identify the redox reaction between chlorophyll a and the primary electron acceptor.
Chlorophyll a is oxidized (loses an electron) while the PEA is reduced (gains an electron).

PHOTOSYSTEMS
7) What is a photosystem?
Groups of molecules (accessory/antenna pigments plus chlorophylls including the reaction centre)
responsible for harvesting light and initiating the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
8) Explain the role of the antenna complex.
The antenna complex includes hundreds of accessory pigments that absorb photons of various
wavelengths and transfer the energy from pigment to pigment until it reaches the reaction centre.

9) What is the pigment molecule found at the reaction centre? Chlorophyll a

10) Photosystems are light-harvesting units found in the chloroplast thylakoid membranes. Describe the
differences between photosystem I and photosystem II.

Comparison Point Photosystem I Photosystem II

Components Only contains chlorophyll a Contains chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids,
xanthophylls and anthocyanins
Ideal light Most excited by light at 700 nm; called Most excited by light at 680 nm; called
P700 P680

***Note: PSI was discovered first (before PSII) hence why it’s given the ‘I” designation.