UM Tagum College

An Overview of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process whereby energy from

the sun is captured and used to build carbohydrates
from CO2 gas and water molecules.
requires sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
is a series of chemical reactions that occurs in two
main phases:
1.
2.

Light-dependent Reaction
Light-independent Reaction or Calvin Cycle

Photosynthesis takes place in three stages:

1.
2.
3.

Capturing energy from sunlight

using the captured energy to produce ATP and NADPH
using the ATP and NADPH to make carbohydrates from CO2 in the atmosphere

Overall process of Photosynthesis

How plants capture energy

from sunlight?
Pigments are molecules that capture light energy. Energy present
in visible light is captured by chlorophyll and other accessory
pigments present in chloroplast.
Plants use these pigments chlorophyll to capture photons of
blue and red light, reflecting photons of green wavelengths.
Chlorophyll A is the most important photosynthetic pigment.
Other pigments called antenna or accessory pigments are also
present in the leaf.

Chlorophyll B
Carotenoids (orange / red)
Xanthophylls (yellow / brown)
Anthocyanin (mostly red)

These pigments are embedded in the membranes of the thylakoid

in groups called photosystems.

Electromagnetic
Spectrum

Why are plants green? t

te
c
fle
e
R

i gh
l
d

Transmitted light

Why do plants change color

in the autumn?
"In every wood, in every spring, there is a different
green.
Although plants are green, in the fall they can turn other
colors such as yellow, red, and orange. This is because
plants also contain other pigments such as carotenoids
(yellow orange),anthocyanins (mostly red), etc. These
other accessory pigments sit in the leaf along with the
chlorophyll and they are the reason that leaves are many
different shades of green.

 Where does photosynthesis occur?

Leaves specialized part of plants for
photosynthesis. mesophyll cells
Chloroplast site of all processes of
photosynthesis. It can be found
within
the mesophyll part of a leaf.
It has 2 main sites for different stages of
photosynthesis:

1. Thylakoid membrane for light-dependent reaction

2. Stroma for the dark reaction or Calvin Cycle

 Closer look on a leaf

LEAF CROSS SECTION

Chloroplast
MESOPHYLL CELL

LEAF
Mesophyll

CHLOROPLAST

Intermembrane space
Outer
membrane
Inner
membrane

Granum
Stroma

Thylakoid
Thylakoid compartment

LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
it generates the production of ATP and
NADPH.
Light and water are required for this
process.
Organizing pigments into photosystems:
Photosystems are complex of proteins and
pigments. They are the light-collecting units of
the chloroplast.
2 types of photosystems:

1. Photosystem II leads the formation of ATP

2. Photosystem I leads the formation of NADPH

How photosystem works?

ATP
mill

n
Photo

Two types of
photosystems
cooperate in the
light reactions

Photon

Water-splitting
photosystem

NADPH producing
photosystem

 5 Stages of Light-dependent Reactions:

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Capturing Light Energy. A photon of light of the appropriate

wavelength is captured by a pigment molecule, and the
excitation energy is passed from one chlorophyll molecule to
another.
Exciting an electron. The excitation energy is funneled to a
key chlorophyll a molecule called the reaction center.
Electron transport. The excited electron is then shuttled
along a series of electron-carrier molecules embedded in the
membrane.
Making ATP. The high concentration of protons can be used
as an energy source to make ATP.
Making NADPH. This energized electron enters another
electron transport system, where it is again shuttled along a
series of electron-carrier molecules.

 Light-dependent reaction process

Primary
electron acceptor
Primary
electron acceptor

Photons

Energy for
synthesis of

PHOTOSYSTEM II

PHOTOSYSTEM I

by chemiosmosis

ATP powers chemical reactions that build carbohydrates.

NADPH the source of reducing power providing hydrogens and electrons
used in building carbohydrates

 The production of ATP by

chemiosmosis in
photosynthesis

LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTION

The Calvin cycle reactions occur in three stages:

1.

Carbon fixation

2.

Making sugars

3.

the carbons are shuffled about through a series of reactions to make

sugars

Reforming RUBP

carbon from CO2 in the air is attached to an organic molecule, RUBP

the remaining molecules are used to reform RUBP

The Calvin cycle must turn 6 times in order to form a new glucose
molecule
The Calvin cycle also recycles reactants needed for the lightdependent reactions

How does Calvin Cycle work?

The Cyclic view of Calvin Cycle

Photorespiration: Putting the Brakes

on Photosynthesis

As temperature increases, plants partially

close their leaf openings, stomata, to
conserve water.
The CO2 and O2 are not able to enter and
exit the leaves through these openings.
Photorespiration C4 Photosynthesis, thus
short-circuits the successful performance of
the Calvin Cycle.

 Carbon Fixation in C4 Plants

CAM Plants
CAM Plants Crassulacean acid metabolism,
are those many succulent (water-storing) plants
such as cacti and pineapples.
CAM
Plants
reduce
the
effects
of
photorespiration by fixing carbon at night.
Carbon dioxide is processed through the C4
pathway during the night. It will then released
from intermediate molecules at night where it
then enters the Calvin Cycle.

 Review: Photosynthesis uses light

energy to make food molecules

A summary of
the chemical
processes of
photosynthesis

Photosystem II
Electron
transport chains
Photosystem I

Calvin
cycle

Cellular
respiration
Cellulose
Starch
Other
organic
compounds