PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Light-dependent Reaction
need light to occur
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS

+ + CO2

= ENERGY RICH COMPOUNDS

 Stage 1:
Capturing energy from Sunlight
• Photons – light tiny packets of energy from light.

• Pigments – molecules that absorb light

• Chlorophyll - pigment used in photosynthesis

 Stage 1:
Capturing energy from Sunlight
Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light and reflects
green light; plants containing chlorophyll appear
green.
 Stage 1:
Capturing energy from Sunlight
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 Stage 2: Making ATP
• Each chlorophyll within the photosystem network is capable of
capturing photons.

• When light strikes the chlorophyll, the energy passes from one
chlorophyll molecule to another.

• The energy arrives at a key chlorophyll touching a membrane-

bound protein.
 Stage 2: Making ATP
• It then passes it to series of proteins that utilizes the energy to
make ATP and build organic molecules

• ATP – Adenosine Triphosphate

• NADP+ - Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

• NADPH – Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

Stage 2: Making ATP

H2O
 Stage 2: Making ATP

Oxygen is released in the atmosphere. The

Hydrogen ions move back across the thylakoid
membrane and generate the energy for the
formation of ATP
End Products of Light Reactions:

NADPH O2 ATP
 Stage 3: Building Carbohydrates
• Carbon Fixation – initial incorporations of
carbon into organic compounds.

• Calvin Cycle – reduces the fixed crbon to

carbohydrates through the addition of electrons.
 Calvin Cycle
RuBisCO – RuBP Carboxylase