PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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How do plants make their

own food?
WORD CHECK: FILL IN THE BLANKS
Supply the blanks with the correct missing letters to form the correct word.

1. PH__T__SY__TH__S__S: the process where plants convert solar

energy into chemical energy.

2. C__LO__OP__AS__ : the green pigment of the plant where the

chlorophyll is being stored.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 is the process of food making done by plants and other autotrophic
organisms such as euglena, blue-green algae and kelp or seaweeds
(brown algae).

 the presence of chlorophyll enables these organisms to make their

own food.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 Plants are producers (autotrophs).
 Plants make their own food by converting carbon dioxide and water with the
present of light energy (SUNLIGHT) into oxygen and glucose, a common
sugar consumed by most organisms, through the process called Photosynthesis.
 Plants convert energy from the sun (light energy) into chemical energy (food).
 it involves two major reactions: light-dependent reaction and light-
independent reaction.
Chemical Reaction Involved in Photosynthesis
TWO PHASES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• There are two main stages of photosynthesis: the light-
dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle (Dark reaction).
• The light reactions use ATP synthase, while Rubisco is found in the
“dark reactions.” Since these are both enzymes, a temperature too
high will cause them to denature, which brings down the rate.
What events that occur in the light reactions of
photosynthesis?

• During the light-dependent stage (“light” reactions), chlorophyll

absorbs light energy, which excites some electrons in the pigment
molecules to higher energy levels; these leave the chlorophyll and
pass along a series of molecules, generating formation of NADPH
(an enzyme) and high-energy ATP molecules.
CALVIN CYCLE
• The light-independent stage, also known as the Calvin Cycle, takes place in
the stroma, the space between the thylakoid membranes and the chloroplast
membranes, and does not require light, hence the name light-independent
reaction
•  ATP and NADPH produced in the light reactions are used in the Calvin cycle
to make sugar.
• The light reactions of photosynthesis occur in the thylakoid membranes of the
chloroplast. Electron carrier molecules are arranged in electron transport
chains that produce ATP and NADPH, which temporarily store chemical
energy
THE CHLOROPLAST
 a tiny structure in plants where
photosynthesis takes place.

Thylakoid is the site for light

dependent reactions in
photosynthesis; stroma is for light-
independent reaction

 it has the green pigments called

chlorophyll.
CHLOROPLAST

are found in all green plants and algae. They are the food producers
of plants. These are found in mesophyll cells located in the leaves of
the plants. They contain a high concentration of chlorophyll that
traps sunlight.
The Chlorophyll
 Green plants have the ability to make their own food and they do this
through a process called photosynthesis, which uses a
green pigment called chlorophyll.
 A pigment is a molecule that has a particular color and can absorb
light at different wavelengths, depending on the color.
 There are many types of pigments in nature, but chlorophyll is unique in
its ability to enable plants to absorb the energy they need to build tissues.
SIX COMMON PIGMENTS FOUND IN
GREEN PLANTS:
1. Carotene- an orange pigment
2. Xanthophyll- a yellow pigment
3. Phaeophytin a- a gray-brown pigment
4. Phaeophytin b- a yellow-brown pigment
5. Chlorophyll a- a blue-green pigment
6. Chlorophyll b- a yellow- green pigment
 CHLOROPHYLL
 Chlorophyll’s job in a plant is to
absorb light—usually sunlight.
 It looks green because white light
consists of primary colors- red, blue,
and green. Only red and blue is
being absorbed while the green light
is being reflected.
Leaf of a Plant

 photosynthesis takes place mainly in the leaves of the plants and little
or none in stems, depending on the presence of chlorophyll.
 the typical parts of the leaves include the upper and lower epidermis,
mesophyll spongy layer, vascular bundles and the stomata.
Parts
of a
Leaf
 PARTS OF THE LEAVES AND ITS
FUNCTION
STOMATA- The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the leaf (as
well as the loss of water vapor in transpiration) occurs through pores
called stomata (singular = stoma).
 PIGMENT- is a molecule that has a particular color and can absorb light
at different wavelengths, depending on the color.
GUARD CELL- the opening and closing of stomata are controlled by
specialized cells called guard cells.
Review Questions:

1. How do plants make their own food through the process of photosynthesis?
2. What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?