Chapter 6: Photosynthesis

Electromagnetic Spectrum:
Gamma (>10-12) – X-Rays (10-12) – Visible Spectrum (10-6) – Radar (10-4) –
Micro (10-2) – TV/Radio (<104)

Photosynthesis: conversion of energy from sunlight into energy in chemical

bonds (carbohydrates)
• Inside the chloroplast, the is a chemical – chlorophyll – which captures
energy from the sun and, along with water, produces ATP + NADPH +
O2 (Light Reaction) (inside thylakoids)
o ATP: a nucleotide called adenosine triphosphate; a form of stored
energy
• Then, ATP + NADPH, along with CO2 are used to produce glucose
(C6H12O6), a form of stored stable energy (Dark Reaction) (inside the
stroma)
o 1/6 converted ATPs make glucose, while the others are used to
keep the cycle going.
It takes energy to make energy.

Grana: stacks of thylakoids in chloroplasts

Thylakoids: coins with membranes that are used to perform photosynthesis
Stroma: space between grana in chloroplasts
Carbon Fixation:
• C3 plants fix carbon from CO2
• C4 plants (grass, sugar cane, corn) fix carbon during the day
• CAM plants (cactuses) fix carbon at night

C4 Plants: store carbon with enzymes, then break it down into C3

CAM Plants: plants in the desert, or other hot environment; shut down all
day, pull in CO2 at night through stomata, then fix it; long, slow process

Dark Reaction:
ATP + NADPH + CO2  ADP + NADP+ +C6H12O6

Light Reaction:
ADP + NADP+ + sunlight + H2O  ATP + NADPH + O2

Photosynthesis:
6CO2 + 6H2O  6O2 + C6H12O6