Definition for Difference between revisions of "Photosynthesis"

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The process whereby light energy is captured by plant, algal, or cyanobacterial cells and used to synthesize organic molecules from CO2 and H2O (or H2S).
 
The process whereby light energy is captured by plant, algal, or cyanobacterial cells and used to synthesize organic molecules from CO2 and H2O (or H2S).
 
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PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 
 
Energy Flow in Living Organisms:
 
 
        Primary producers ---> Herbiovores ---> Carnivores
 
 
    Primary Producers
 
Plants and certain types of bacteria and protists
 
produce energy for the rest of living organisms on Earth
 
Use energy fomr the sun - about 5%
 
Aka "Autotrophs"
 
    Herbivores
 
Plant eaters; ability to digest plants
 
Release energy stored in plants
 
Aka "Primary Consumers"
 
    Carnivores
 
Eat Herbivores
 
Aka "Secondary Consumers"
 
So WHY does this RELATE to PHOTOSYNTHESIS?????
 
 
- Without photosynthesis plants could not grow
 
- Herbivores and Carnivores (You and Me) would not be able to survive
 
- We rely on plants in order to obtain their energy which we use to survive
 
- Plants plan an important role in coverting CO2 into O2 so that humans can breath
 
- Growing plants can provide multiple neds for humans (food, medicine, builing materials)
 
 
Photosynthetic Organisms
 
They are largely self-sufficient
 
Takes in: CO2, Water, Sunlight
 
Produces: Sugars and Oxygen
 
Types of Photosynthetic Organisms
 
Prokaryotic Autotrophs:
 
cyanobacteria
 
unicellular
 
grow rapidly in nutrient rich water
 
Eukaryotic Autotrophs
 
algea, photosynthetic protists, plants
 
contain chlorophyll within chloroplasts
 
LEAVES are the primary photosynthetic organs of a plant
 
WHERE PHOTOSYNTHESIS BEINGS !
 
 
CHLOROPHYLL
 
light-absorbing pigment
 
reflects the colour green
 
there are 2 types:
 
Chlorophyll a (blue-green)
 
Chlorophyll b (yellow-green)
 
composed of a porphyrin rings attached to a long hydrocarbon tail
 
PORPHYRIN RING
 
contains a magnesium aton at its centre surrounded by a hydrocarbon ring
 
hydrocarbon ring has alternating double and single bongs
 
electrons in these bonds absrob light energy and being the PHOTOSYNTHETIC process
 
 
PARTS OF A LEAF
 
 
Waxy Cuticle - protects from excessive absorption of sunlight and evaporation of water
 
Epidemis Layer - allows light to pass through; located below the cuticle
 
Chloroplasts - most abundant in the spongy and mesophyll layers
 
Guard Cells - create openings called STOMATA that regulate the exhange of CO2 and O2
 
Vascular Bundles - transports water and minerals from roots to the leaf cells and carry carbohydrates from leaves to other parts of the plant
 
 
STOMATA
 
allows for the exchange of CO2 to diffuse into air spaces within the leaf's mesophyll layers (where most cholorplasts are located)
 
plants regulate the size of the openings under certain conditions to maximize CO2 intake and minimize water losee
 
usually open in the day time and closed at night
 
 
 
CHOLOROPLASTS
 
located within mesophyll and guard cell layers
 
SITE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 
 
Structure:
 
Stroma - semiliquid material that is protein rich and located between the inner/outer membranes of the chloroplast - SITE OF THE CALVIN CYCLE
 
 
Thylakoids - located within the stroma; connected to membrane sites
 
 
Grana - a stack of thylakoids
 
 
Thylakoid Membrane - contains light-gathering pigment molecules (CHLOROPHYLL) and electron transport chains - SITE OF THE LIGHT REACTIONS
 
 
 
STOP! LETS TAKE RECAP WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR
 
 
Photosynthesis takes place in oder for plants to grow
 
Plants take in CO2, Water, and Sunlight  to PRODUCE sugar and O2
 
Photosyntheis beings in the CHLOROPHYLL which is a light absorbing pigment
 
Cholorphyll is found in CHOLORPLASTS of plants
 
Chloroplasts are mainly found in the LEAF of a plant
 
 
 
PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS
 
 
 
Photosynthetic Pigments
 
Chlorophyll a - transfers lgiht energy to carbon fixation reactions
 
chlorophyll b - absorbs light energy that chlorophyll a does poorly, if at all
 
Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) - chlorophyll a + b combined with accessory pigments of wavelengths from 400nm to 700nm
 
clusters of these pigments are referred to as PHOTOSYSTEMS (are embedded in the thylakoid membranes within the chloroplasts)
 
absorb photons of specific wavelengths
 
via light reactions, they transfer energy to form ATP and NADPH
 
ATP and NADPH are synthesized in the stroma (located within the chloroplasts)
 
PHOTOSYSTEMS
 
 
Structure:
 
    Antenna Complex:
 
web of chlorophyll molecules in the THYLAKOID MEMBRANE
 
antenna pigment absorbs the photon and transfers energy to chlorophyll a molecule in the reaction centre
 
chlorophyll a molecule absorbs energy and it is raised to high energy level
 
redox reactions transfer excited electron to a PRIMARY ELECTRON ACCEPTOR, leaving chlorophyll in an oxidized state
 
Reaction Centre:
 
transmembrane protein complex containing chlorophyll a
 
electrons absorb light energy and begin process of photosynthesis
 
TYPES OF PHOTOSYSTEMS
 
 
    PHOTOSYSTEM 2
 
called P680
 
best at absorbing photons with wavelength of 680nm
 
    PHOTOSYSTEM 1
 
called P700
 
best at absorbing photons with wavelength of 700nm
 
Notes:
 
 
plants use photosystems 2 and 1 to produce ATP and NADPH
 
referred to as NONCYCLIC ELECTRON FLOW
 
REDOX REACTIONS (OXIDATION-REDUCTION)
 
transfer of electrons from one atom to another
 
reducing agent = oxidation (release of electrons)
 
oxidizing agent = reduction (gain of electrons)
 
"LEO says GER"
 
 
 
 
STAGES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LIGHT REACTIONS:
 
    1. CAPTURING LIGHT ENERGY (PHOTON)
 
    2. CREATING ATP and NADPH from the LIGHT ENERGY
 
CARBON FIXATION (CALVIN CYCLE):
 
    3. PRODUCE GLUCOSE via CO2 with ATP and NADPH
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART 1 & 2
 
Photon hits photosystem 2 and excites and electron of chlorophyll P680 which is captured by PRIMARY ELECTRON ACCEPTOR (pheophytin).  Via REDOX reactions, the electron is transferred to PQ (plastoquinone) whihc is an electron carrier and then off the ETC (electron transport chain) ---- This occur 2x
 
 
Water splits into O2, H+ ions, and electrons via the Z protein.  Two of the electrons replace the ones missed in chlorophyll P680.  As a byproduct, O2 leaves the chloroplast. H+ ions remain in the THYLAKOID SPACE creating a PROTON GRADIENT
 
 
Electrons leaving Photosystem 2 go through a "Q cycle" and transports electrons through the b6-f cytochrome complex.  Protons (H+ ions) are pumped in from STROMA into the THYLAKOID LUMEN creating a H+ gradient from chemoiosmosis.  Four H+ ions for every two electons that pass through the transport chain.  Electrons move through the PC (plastocyanin) andother parts of the ETC, replacing the two electrons that were lost by Photosystem 1 (just like what happened in Photosystem 2)
 
 
Electrons from Photosystem 1 pass through another ETC containing Fd (ferredoxin).  They then move to the ENZYME NADPreductase that uses two electrons and H+ ions from the stroma to reduce NADP+ to NADPH
 
 
Protons (H+ ions) that accumulate in the thylakoid lumen contribute to an electrochemical gradient that drives the PHOSPHORYLATION of ADP to ATP.  As protons move through the ATPase complex from the thylakoid lumen into the stroma, ATP is formed.  Since light is required this process is called PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION.  ATP and NADPH then move into the CALVIN CYCLE
 
 
VIDEO LINK ON PARTS 1 and 2
 
 
 
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::535::535::/sites/dl/free/0072437316/120072/bio13.swf::Photosynthetic_Electron_Transport_and_ATP_Synthesis
 
 
 
PART 3
 
 
 
CALVIN CYCLE EQUATION:
 
   
 
    3 RuBP + 3CO2 + 9ATP + 6NADPH + 5H2O ---> 9ADP + 8Pi + 6NADP+ + G3P + 3RuBP
 
 
CARBON FIXATION REACTIONS
 
The initial molecule, ribulose 1,5-biphosphate (RuBP), reacts with CARBON DIOXIDE with the aid of RuBP carboxylas enzyme, the first stable molecules produced are 2 3-Carbon molecules called 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA)
 
There is a non-stable 6-carbon molecule that preceds PGA but it immediately breaks into 2 PGA molecules
 
Once PGA is made ATP donates a phosphate group to PGA to form 1,3-biphosphoglycerate.  It now had 2 phosphate groups, one each on the first and third carbons
 
Now in the reduction and carbohydrate production stage, 1,3-biphosphate takes the H from an NADPH being reduced and releases its phosphate group to become 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde (3GP)
 
3GP can now be used to create carbohydrates for energy and regeneration of the original RuBP molecule
 

Revision as of 23:35, 3 March 2011

The process whereby light energy is captured by plant, algal, or cyanobacterial cells and used to synthesize organic molecules from CO2 and H2O (or H2S).