Photosynthesis

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Photosynthesis

• Capturing and using solar energy

2
W O R K T O G E T H E R
Quick, think!

• Does photosynthesis
• create energy?
• use energy?
• store energy?
• release energy?

No
Yes
Yes
No
3
W O R K T O G E T H E R
True or False?

• Plants do photosynthesis but not cellular
  respiration.
• Photosynthesis is a plants way of creating ATP
  for its cells.
• Plants make sugar and other carbon compounds so
  that animals can eat.

False
False
False
4
Photosynthesis

• What photosynthesis does
• Converts sunlight into stored chemical energy.
• Makes carbon compounds that can be broken down
  for energy or used to build tissue.

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Photosynthesis is an ___ process.

1. Endergonic
2. Exergonic

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Photosynthesis is endergonic because

1. Energy is consumed by the process.
2. Energy is given off by the process.
3. Energy is made by the process.

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Remember this?
energy input
C6H12O6 (glucose)
O2 (oxygen)

6 CO2 (carbon dioxide)
6 H2O (water)

Photosynthesis is an endergonic process.
Photosynthesis takes in energy and uses it to
build carbon compounds.
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This diagram shows that photosynthesis is an
endergonic reaction because it takes in energy.
Energy is captured from sunlight.
Oxygen is released.
Sugar is synthesized and used in plant tissues.
Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the air.
plant tissues, growth
photosynthesis
Carbon for making carbon compounds (such as
sugar) comes from the atmosphere.
Water is absorbed from soil, used
in photosynthesis, and stored in cells.
Inorganic mineral nutrients (nitrate, phosphate)
are absorbed from soil and used in plant tissues.
Oxygen, hydrogen, and minerals are needed also.
Oxygen and hydrogen come from water. Minerals
comes from the soil
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Plants make carbon-based molecules from raw
inorganic compounds.
(chloroplast)
photosynthesis
O2
ATP
sugar
CO2
H2O
cellular respiration
(mitochondrion)
Plants use the organic carbon compounds as food
and to build cell parts.
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Organic molecules are

1. Natural, not man-made.
2. Molecules that contain carbon.
3. Molecules that contain carbon AND hydrogen.
4. Any molecule from a living organism.

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Internal leaf structure
cuticle
upper epidermis
mesophyll cells
lower epidermis
chloroplasts
stoma
bundle sheath
vascular bundle (vein)
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Chloroplast
outer membrane
inner membrane
thylakoid
stroma
channel interconnecting thylakoids
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The function of the chloroplast is to

1. Produce energy.
2. Gather light energy and convert it to chemical
   energy.
3. Break sugars down for energy.

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Light energy is captured by chlorophyl, which
is embedded in the thylakoid membranes.
energy from sunlight
O2
CO2
ATP
NADPH
Light-dependent reactions are associated
with thylakoids.
Light- independent reactions (C3 cycle) occur in
stroma.
Energy from the light-dependent reactions drives
the reactions where carbon compounds are produced.
ADP
NADP
H2O
chloroplast
G3P
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ATP and NADPH are used to move energy from one
part of the chloroplast to another.
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTIONS (in thylakoids)
H2O
O2
DEPLETED CARRIERS (ADP, NADP)
ENERGIZED CARRIERS (ATP, NADPH)
ATP made in the chloroplast is ONLY used to power
production of carbon compounds. It is not
available to the rest of the cell.
LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTIONS (in stroma)
CO2
G3P
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Overall, the light-dependent reactions do what?

1. Make energy.
2. Capture energy.
3. Make carbon compounds.
4. Break down carbon compounds.

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Overall, the light-independent reactions do what?

1. Make energy.
2. Capture energy.
3. Make carbon compounds.
4. Break down carbon compounds.

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W O R K T O G E T H E R

• Suppose for a moment that the ATP made in the
  chloroplast was available to the cell, and was
  the ONLY source of ATP for the cell. Could the
  plant survive? (Remember that ATP is an unstable
  molecule that cannot be stored longer than a few
  minutes.)

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Light-dependent reactions convert light energy
into temporary chemical energy.
electron transport chain
sunlight
NADPH
2e
2e
electron transport chain
NADP
H
2e
energy level of electrons
energy to drive ATP synthesis
2e
photosystem I
reaction center
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H2O
2e
2H
photosystem II
1/2 O2
The electron transport chain produces NADPH and
drives ATP synthesis.
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ATP synthase uses energy from the diffusion of H
to drive ATP synthesis.
Energy from energized electrons powers
active transport of H by ETC.
Energy-carrier molecules power the C3 cycle.
ETC
PSII
PSI
stroma
ETC
C3 cycle
Energy from energized electrons powers NADPH
synthesis.
thylakoid space
Flow of H down concentration gradient powers ATP
synthesis.
High H concentration generated by
active transport.
H channel coupled to ATP-synthesizing enzyme.
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Whats important in the light-dependent (photo)
reactions

• The ETC uses light energy to produce NADPH.
• Energy from the ETC concentrates H ions. The
  energy released as they diffuse through ATP
  synthase makes ATP.
• ATP and NADPH are used to power the
  light-independent reactions.

22
In photosynthesis, water is split in order to

1. Release oxygen.
2. Get protons and electrons.
3. Make energy.
4. Make chlorophyll.

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In photosynthesis, light energy is captured by

1. Protons
2. Oxygen
3. Chlorophyll
4. ATP

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The membrane protein that makes ATP is

1. ATP synthase
2. Chlorophyll
3. ADP
4. Oxygen

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Light-independent reactions. Notice where ATP and
NADPH are used up.
1 Carbon fixation combines CO2 with RuBP.
6 CO2
2 G3P synthesis uses energy.
6
12
6 RuBP
PGA
C3 cycle (Calvin-Benson cycle)
3 RuBP synthesis uses energy and 10 G3P.
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ATP
12
ADP
12
NADPH
ADP
6
12
12
ATP
6
NADP
G3P
4 G3P available for synthesis of carbon compounds
such as glucose.
glucose (or other molecules)
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Whats important in the light-independent
(synthesis) reactions

• Energy carried by ATP and NADPH is used to power
  synthesis of G3P.
• G3P can be used to make glucose as well as other
  monomers.
• These monomers can be used to build polymers, or
  may be broken down to make ATP for the cell.

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The source of carbon to make carbon compounds in
photosynthesis is

1. Glucose
2. G3P
3. Carbon dioxide
4. Water

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Which of these happens in the C3 cycle?

1. ATP is made from ADP and P.
2. ATP is broken down to power molecule synthesis.
3. ATP becomes the monomer of other compounds.

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Plant cells need ATP to run cell processes. Where
does that ATP come from?

1. Sunlight.
2. The light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
3. The light-independent reactions of
   photosynthesis.
4. Cellular respiration

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IMPORTANT!!!

• Photosynthesis does NOT supply energy to the
  cell. Photosynthesis USES light energy to make
  organic compounds.
• To get energy for the cell, plant cells must use
  cellular respiration to break down glucose and
  make ATP.

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An analogy

• Photosynthesis is like going to the grocery store
  and buying food to store in your cupboard. The
  food and the energy in it is stored.
• Cellular respiration is like eating the food when
  you are hungry and need energy. The energy in
  food is released only by eating the food.

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While animals can only do cellular respiration,
plants make food using photosynthesis and break
the food down for energy in cellular
respiration.
(chloroplast)
photosynthesis
O2
ATP
sugar
CO2
H2O
cellular respiration
(mitochondrion)
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Animals
Plants
Photosynthesis
Day
Day
Night
Night
Photosynthesis supplies the food that plants
need to carry out cellular respiration.
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C3 plants use the C3 pathway
Much photorespiration occurs under hot,
dry conditions.
CO2
O2
PGA
CO2
rubisco
C3 Cycle
RuBP
G3P
glucose
stoma
within mesophyll chloropast
bundle- sheath cells
Little glucose is synthesized.
In a C3 plant, mesophyll cells contain
chloroplasts bundle- sheath cells do not.
C3 plants are at a disadvantage in hot, dry
climates.
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CO2 is captured with a highly specific enzyme.
C4 plants use the C4 pathway
CO2
PEP
C4 Pathway
4-carbon molecule
AMP
ATP
within mesophyll chloropast
pyruvate
CO2
O2
PGA
rubisco
CO2
stoma
C3 Cycle
RuBP
bundle- sheath cells
G3P
Almost no photorespiration occurs in hot,
dry conditions.
glucose
In a C4 plant, both mesophyll and bundle-sheath
cells contain chloroplasts.
within bundle-sheath chloropast
Lots of glucose is synthesized.
C4 plants essentially store carbon for hot times
of the day. Guess what pathway many weeds use?
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W O R K T O G E T H E R

• Fill in the blanks in this generalized diagram
  showing what goes into and what comes out of the
  chloroplast.

Chloroplast
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Recap

• Think of photosynthesis as an energy storing
  process, not an energy-making or energy-releasing
  process.
• The products of photosynthesis can be
• used to build cell parts.
• broken down to make ATP for the cell.

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Photosynthesis animations

• Electron transport chains
• Light-dependent and light-independent reactions