Photosynthesis Notes

Energy and Living Things: All living organisms must have energy to survive. Organisms get
this energy from food. Organisms either make their own food or consume other
organisms to obtain food.
What is meant by food?
Food contains a mixture of substances that are necessary for life, including
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The main food energy source for living things is
carbohydrates (sugars).
Autotrophs: Organisms that can make their own food.
Examples: plants, algae, some bacteria
Heterotrophs: Organisms that consume other organisms to obtain food.
Examples: humans, cows, grasshoppers, birds, fungi, amoebas
How do we get energy?
We eat food containing sugars, and then convert those sugars into chemical energy (ATP)
in a process called cellular respiration. ATP is the energy source most readily available
to cells.
Cellular respiration: Process that converts the energy in food (sugar) into chemical
energy (ATP) which organisms can use to perform their life functions. This
process takes place in the mitochondria.

Sugar + Oxygen
ATP Energy

How do plants get energy?
Since plants dont eat food, they must make their own food. This process is called
photosynthesis, and it takes place in the chloroplasts.
Photosynthesis: Process in which light energy is captured and stored as chemical energy
in the form of carbohydrates (sugars).

Sunlight + Carbon dioxide + Water
Sugar

Plants cells then take this sugar and convert is to ATP energy through the process of
cellular respiration, just as animals do!

What type of energy can be used by the cells?

ATP: adenosine triphosphate: the energy molecule of life. This molecule stores the
chemical energy which organisms can use to perform their life functions.

Energy is stored in ATPs phosphate bonds

When the bond is broken energy is released

ATP
ADP + P + energy

(This energy is used to do work in the cell.)

When the bond is formed, energy must be used

ADP + P + energy
ATP

(This energy is stored for later use.)

Photosynthesis: Process by which light energy is captured and stored as chemical energy in
the form of carbohydrates (sugars).
6 CO2
+
carbon dioxide

6 H2O
water

light

C6H12O6
glucose

6 O2
oxygen

Photosynthesis takes place in two sets of reactions:

1. Energy capturing step
2. Food making step
Where?: Takes place in chloroplasts, pigment containing organelles found in leaves
Thylakoids
membranes arranged as flattened sacs
Grana
stacks of thylakoids
Stroma
solution-filled space between grana stacks
Thylakoid space
space inside thylakoid sacs

Thylakoids contain pigments (compounds that absorb light)

Light is either absorbed, transmitted, or reflected.
The color you see is the wavelength that is reflected.
The color you dont see is the wavelength absorbed.
Pigments important to photosynthesis:
Chlorophyll a
absorbs red wavelength, reflects green
Chlorophyll b
absorbs blue wavelength, reflects green
(funnels blue light energy to chlorophyll a)
Carotenoids
absorbs green wavelength, reflects brown & orange
(funnels this energy to chlorophyll a)
Chlorophyll a is the only pigment directly involved in photosynthesis. The other
pigments are accessory pigments, which allow the chloroplast to absorb a broader
spectrum of light energy.
Stomata: openings (pores) in the bottom of the leaf through which carbon dioxide enters and
water and oxygen exit

Photosynthesis takes place in two sets of reactions:

1.

Light dependent reactions: Energy capturing step which takes place in thylakoids.
Capture the suns energy and convert it into chemical forms usable by the cell:
ATP
stores energy in its phosphate bonds
NADPH
molecule carrying high energy electrons which will be used at
another location
NADP+ + 2 high energy e- + H+
NADPH

2.

Uses H2O and releases O2 as a by-product

Light independent reactions: Food making step which takes place in stroma.
The light independent reactions are known as the Calvin Cycle.
Uses the energy captured by the light dependent reactions to produce carbohydrates
(sugar) from CO2

Light Dependent Reactions:

Light energy captured as chemical energy of NADPH and ATP
Where does it occur? Thylakoid membrane
Structures involved:
Photosystem II:
Group of several hundred pigment molecules (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and
carotenoids) that absorb the energy of light
Photosystem I:
Group of several hundred pigment molecules (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and
carotenoids) that absorb the energy of light
Electron Transport Chain:
Group of protein/enzyme molecules that can pass a high energy electron (e-) along
a pathway.
There are 2 electron transport chains, one associated with each photosystem.
ATP Synthase:
Protein molecule that is able to channel protons across the membrane.
It is also an enzyme that can convert ADP to ATP.
Water-splitting enzyme:
Enzyme that can split water into H+ ions (protons) and O2
NADP+ :
Carrier molecule for high-energy electrons.
NADP+ can carry two high energy electrons.
NADP+

2 high energy e-

+ H+

NADPH

Light Independent Reactions: Calvin Cycle

Uses the energy stored in ATP and NADPH (which can only store energy for a few minutes) to
produce carbohydrates (which can store energy for a long time)
Where does it occur? In the stroma
Six carbon dioxide molecules are required to produce 1 glucose molecule.
ADP and NADP+ are also produced during this cycle, and they are fed back into the light
dependent cycle of reactions.

Overview of Photosynthesis