A Basic Food Chain

Plants absorb light from the

sun, which is turned into
energy to grow. We call
these producers.

The vegetarian animals eat

the plants, they are called
primary consumers.

Secondary consumers
prey on primary
consumers.

DaurKarbon
di alam

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Photosynthesis is conversion of light energy into chemical

energy that is stored in organic
compounds (carbohydrates > glucose)
Used by autotrophs such as:
Plants
Algae
Some bacteria (prokaryotes)

MENGAPA FOTOSINTESIS PENTING BAGI

KEHIDUPAN?
(1) karbohidrat sebagai hasil fotosintesis merupakan
sumber energi bagi semua kehidupan;
(2) hasil fotosintesis merupakan bahan dasar sintesis
berbagai senyawa organik yang diperlukan
manusia, hewan dan kehidupan lainnya;
(3) pertumbuhan dan hasil tumbuhan sangat
ditentukan oleh kecepatan dan efektivitas proses
fotosintesis; dan
(4) dalam fotosintesis dihasilkan oksigen (O2) sebagai
hasil samping yang sangat penting bagi kehidupan.

Why are
plants
green?

The electromagnetic spectrum

 A Red Object absorbs the blue and green wavelengths and reflects the red wavelengths

 pigment a compound that absorbs light

different pigments absorb different wavelengths of
white light.

chlorophyll is a pigment that absorbs red & blue

light (photons) so green is reflected or transmitted.
Chlorophyll is located in the thylakoid membranes

So, Plants are green because the green

wavelength is reflected, not absorbed.

2 types of chlorophyll
Chlorophyll a involved in light
reactions
Chlorophyll b assists in capturing
light energy accessory pigment
Carotenoids accessory pigments
captures more light energy
Red, orange & yellow

Chlorophyll is the primary

photosynthetic pigment

Accessory
pigments

The electromagnetic wavelengths and the wavelengths

that are absorbed by the chlorophyll

Where does
photosynthesis
take place?

Plants
Mainly occurs in the leaves:
a. stoma - pores
b.mesophyll cells

Mesophyll
Cell

Chloroplast
Stoma

Stomata (stoma)
Pores in a plants cuticle through which
water vapor and gases (CO2 & O2)
are exchanged between the plant and
the atmosphere.
Stoma
Carbon Dioxide
(CO2)

Guard Cell

Oxygen
(O2)

Guard Cell

Found on the underside of leaves

Mesophyll Cell of Leaf

Nucleus
Cell Wall

Chloroplast

Central Vacuole

Photosynthesis occurs in these cells!

Chloroplast
Organelle where photosynthesis takes place.
Stroma
Outer Membrane
Inner Membrane

Thylakoid

Granum

Thylakoid stacks are connected together

Parts
chloroplasts double membrane organelle that
absorbs light energy
Thylakoids flattened sacs contain pigment chlorophyll
Grana (pl: granum) layered thylakoids (like
pancakes)
Stroma solution around thylakoids
Stomata pore on underside of leaf where O 2 is
released and CO2 enters

Thylakoid
Thylakoid Membrane

Granum

Thylakoid Space

Grana make up the inner membrane

energi sinar

6CO2 + 6H2O
6O2

C6H12O6 +
Chlorophyll in photosystems
absorb light energy and
release electrons

Chlorophyll

Photosynthesis occurs in
chloroplasts

Sintesis sukrosa dan pati

Sintesis sukrosa di sitosol
glukosa-1-fosfat+fruktosa-6-fosfat +ATP +
2H20 sukrosa + ADP + 3 Pi
Sintesis pati di plastida
ADPG +n(gluc) amilosa lebih besar +ADP
enzim sintetase
K+

Remember Redox Reaction

reduction/oxidation
The transfer of one or more
electrons from one reactant to
another
Two types:
1. Oxidation is the loss of e2. Reduction is the gain of e-

Oxidation Reaction
The loss of electrons from a
substance or the gain of oxygen.
Oxidation

6CO2 + 6H2O
Carbon
dioxide

C6H12O6 + 6O2
glucose

Water

Oxygen

Reduction Reaction
The gain of electrons to a
substance or the loss of oxygen.
Reduction

6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2

glucose

The rate of photosynthesis would be the rate

at which it can produce photosynthetic
products (glucose). So it would mean the
number of glucose molecules synthesised
per unit of time, presumably seconds.
Methods to calculate the rate of
photosynthesis:
1) Measuring the uptake of CO2
2) Measuring the production of O2
3) Measuring the production of carbohydrates
4) Measuring the increase in dry mass

Factor affecting photosynthesis:

Internal factors:
Chlorophyll (amount)
leaves (age and anatomi),
demand of photosynthate

External factors (environmental):

temperature,
light,
carbondioxide,
water,
mineral elements.

Chlorophyll :
The amount of chlorophyll present has
a direct relationship witth the rate of
photosynthesis because this pigment
which is photoreceptive and is
directly involved in trapping light
energy .

Leaf age and anatomy :

Newly expanding leaves show gradual increase in
rate of photosynthesis and the maximum is reached
when the leaves achieve full size. Chloroplast
functions decline as the leaves age.
Rate of photosynthesis is influenced by
variation in
(i) number , structure and distribution of stomata,
(ii)size and distribution of intercellular spaces
(iii)relative proportion of palisade and spongy tissues
(iv)thickness of cuticle etc.

Demand for photo synthate :

Rapidly growing plants show increased rate of
photosynthesis in comparison to mature plants.
When demand for photosynthesis
is lowered by removal of meristem the
photosynthetic rate declines.

 Light : The rate of photosynthesis increases with

increase in rate of intensity oflight or rate of
photosynthesis is directly proportional to light
intensity. Except on a cloudy day light is never a
limiting factor in nature.
Temperature : Very high and very low
temperature affect the rate of photosynthesis
adversely. Rate of photosynthesis will rise with
temperature from 5-37C beyond which there is a
rapid fall, as the enzymes involved in the process
in the dark reaction get inactive at the
temperature. Between 5-35C, with every 10C
rise in temperature rate of photosynthesis doubles
or Q10 is 2 (Q = quotient).

Carbon dioxide : Carbon dioxide being one of the

raw materials for photosynthesis its concentration
affects the rate of photosynthesis markedly.
Because of its very low concentration (0.03%) in
the atmosphere, it acts as limiting factor in natural
photosynthesis. At optimum temperature and light
intensity, if carbon dioxide supply is increased the
rate of photosynthesis increases markedly.
Water : Water has an indirect effect on the rate of
photosynthesis. Loss of water in the soil is
immediate the felt by the leaves which close down
the stomata thus hampering the absorption of CO2
from the atmosphere. This causes decline in
photosynthesis

Mineral elements : Some mineral elements like

copper, manganese, chloride etc. which are
components of photosynthetic enzymes or
magnesium as a component of chlorophylls also
affect the rate of photosynthesis indirectly by
affecting the synthesis of photosynthetic enzyme
and chlorophyll respectively.

Concept of limiting
factors :
This known as law of limiting factors or law of
minimum shown by Blackman (1905): when a
process is conditioned as to its rapidity by a
number of separate factors, the rate of the
process is limited by the pace of slowest factor

When light, carbon dioxide, and temperature are

optimum, the rate of photosynthesis is maximum.
if one of the factors become suboptimal and the
other factors remain optimal, the rate of the
process decline substantially.

Chemosynthesis
When plants utilise light energy to reduce carbon dioxide to
carbohydrates photosynthetic autotrophs.
When organisms utilise chemical energy released during
biological oxidation of certain inorganic substances to reduce
carbon dioxide to carbohydrate chemosynthetic
autotrophs.
Many colourless bacteria use chemical energy to reduce carbon
dioxide for carbohydrate synthesis chemosynthesis.
the method of carbon assimilation when the reduction of
CO2 is carried out in darkness, utilising the energy obtained
from oxidations of inorganic substances.
(i) Nitrifying bacteria. Nitrosomonas oxidises NH3 to
NO2
(ii) Sulphur bacteria
(iii) Iron bacteria
(iv) Hydrogen and methane bacteria