LECTURE PRESENTATIONS

For CAMPBELL BIOLOGY, NINTH EDITION

Jane B. Reece, Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Robert B. Jackson

Chapter 10

Photosynthesis

Lectures by
Erin Barley
Kathleen Fitzpatrick

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Quick, think!
W
O
R
• Does photosynthesis: K
No
– create energy? T
O
– use energy? Yes G
E
– “store” energy? Yes T
H
– release energy? E
No
R
 True or False?
W
O
• Plants do photosynthesis but R
not cellular respiration. False K
• Photosynthesis is a plant’s way T
of creating ATP for its cells. O
False G
• Plants make sugar and other E
carbon compounds so that T
animals can eat. H
False E
R
Overview: The Process That Feeds the
Biosphere
• Photosynthesis is the process that converts
solar energy into chemical energy
• Directly or indirectly, photosynthesis nourishes
almost the entire living world

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Energy needs of life
• All life needs a constant input of energy
– Heterotrophs
• get their energy from “eating others”
• consumers of other organisms
• consume organic molecules
– Autotrophs
• get their energy from “self”
• get their energy from sunlight
• use light energy to synthesize organic molecules
How are they connected?
Heterotrophs
making energy & organic molecules from ingesting organic molecules

glucose + oxygen  carbon + water + energy

dioxide
C6H12O6 + 6O2  6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP

Autotrophs
making energy & organic molecules from light energy

carbon + water + energy  glucose + oxygen

dioxide
6CO2 + 6H2O +light  C6H12O6 + 6O2
energy
Energy cycle sun

Photosynthesis

CO2 H 2O glucose O2

Cellular Respiration
The Great Circle
of Life! ATP
Where’s Mufasa?
What does it mean to be a plant
• Need to…
– collect light energy
• transform it into chemical energy
– store light energy
• in a stable form to be moved around the plant
& also saved for a rainy day
– need to get building block atoms from
the environment
• C,H,O,N,P,S
– produce all organic molecules needed for growth
• carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids
Photosynthesis is an ___ process.
1. Endergonic
2. Exergonic
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.
 Concept 10.1: Photosynthesis converts
light energy to the chemical energy of food
• Chloroplasts are structurally similar to and likely
evolved from photosynthetic bacteria
• The structural organization of these cells allows
for the chemical reactions of photosynthesis

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chloroplasts: The Sites of Photosynthesis
in Plants
• Leaves are the major locations of
photosynthesis
• Their green color is from chlorophyll, the
green pigment within chloroplasts
• Chloroplasts are found mainly in cells of the
mesophyll, the interior tissue of the leaf
• Each mesophyll cell contains 30–40
chloroplasts

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • CO2 enters and O2 exits the leaf through
microscopic pores called stomata
• The chlorophyll is in the membranes of
thylakoids (connected sacs in the chloroplast);
thylakoids may be stacked in columns called
grana
• Chloroplasts also contain stroma, a dense
interior fluid

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.4
Leaf cross section
Chloroplasts Vein

Mesophyll

Stomata
CO2 O2

Chloroplast Mesophyll
cell

Outer
membrane
Thylakoid Intermembrane
Stroma Granum Thylakoid space 20 m
space Inner
membrane

1 m
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.
Tracking Atoms Through Photosynthesis:
Scientific Inquiry
• Photosynthesis is a complex series of reactions
that can be summarized as the following
equation:
6 CO2 + 12 H2O + Light energy  C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6 H2O

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Splitting of Water
• Chloroplasts split H2O into hydrogen and
oxygen, incorporating the electrons of hydrogen
into sugar molecules and releasing oxygen as a
by-product

Reactants: 6 CO2 12 H2O

Products: C6H12O6 6 H2O 6 O2

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Photosynthesis as a Redox Process
• Photosynthesis reverses the direction of electron
flow compared to respiration
• Photosynthesis is a redox process in which H2O
is oxidized and CO2 is reduced
• Photosynthesis is an _________ process; the
energy boost is provided by light
becomes reduced

Energy  6 CO2  6 H2O C6 H12 O6  6 O2

becomes oxidized

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Two Stages of Photosynthesis:
A Preview
• Photosynthesis consists of the light
reactions (the photo part) and Calvin cycle
(the synthesis part)
• The light reactions (in the thylakoids)
– Split H2O
– Release O2
– Reduce NADP+ to NADPH
– Generate ATP from ADP by
photophosphorylation

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • The Calvin cycle (in the stroma) forms sugar
from CO2, using ATP and NADPH
• The Calvin cycle begins with carbon fixation,
incorporating CO2 into organic molecules

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.6-4

H2O CO2

Light

NADP
ADP
+Pi
Calvin
Light Cycle
Reactions

ATP

NADPH

Chloroplast

O2 [CH2O]
(sugar)
Overall, the light-dependent
reactions do what?
1. Make energy.
2. Capture energy.
3. Make carbon
compounds.
4. Break down
carbon
compounds.
Overall, the light-independent
reactions do what?
1. Make energy.
2. Capture energy.
3. Make carbon
compounds.
4. Break down
carbon
compounds.
 Concept 10.2: The light reactions convert
solar energy to the chemical energy of
ATP and NADPH
• Chloroplasts are solar-powered chemical
factories
• Their thylakoids transform light energy into the
chemical energy of ATP and NADPH

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Nature of Sunlight
• Light is a form of electromagnetic energy, also
called electromagnetic radiation
• Like other electromagnetic energy, light travels in
rhythmic waves
• Wavelength is the distance between crests of
waves
• Wavelength determines the type of
electromagnetic energy

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire
range of electromagnetic energy, or radiation
• Visible light consists of wavelengths (including
those that drive photosynthesis) that produce
colors we can see
• Light also behaves as though it consists of
discrete particles, called photons

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.7

1m
105 nm 103 nm 1 nm 10 nm
3
106 nm (109 nm) 103 m

Gamma Micro- Radio

X-rays UV Infrared waves waves
rays

Visible light

380 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 nm

Shorter wavelength Longer wavelength
Higher energy Lower energy
Photosynthetic Pigments: The Light
Receptors
• Pigments are substances that absorb visible light
• Different pigments absorb different wavelengths
• Wavelengths that are not absorbed are reflected
or transmitted
• Leaves appear green because chlorophyll
reflects and transmits green light

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.8

Light
Reflected
light

Chloroplast

Absorbed Granum
light

Transmitted
light
 • A spectrophotometer measures a pigment’s
ability to absorb various wavelengths
• This machine sends light through pigments and
measures the fraction of light transmitted at each
wavelength

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.9
TECHNIQUE
Refracting Chlorophyll Photoelectric
White prism solution tube
light Galvanometer

High transmittance
Slit moves to Green (low absorption):
pass light light Chlorophyll absorbs
of selected very little green light.
wavelength.

Low transmittance
Blue (high absorption):
light Chlorophyll absorbs
most blue light.
 • An absorption spectrum is a graph plotting a
pigment’s light absorption versus wavelength
• The absorption spectrum of chlorophyll a
suggests that violet-blue and red light work best
for photosynthesis
• An action spectrum profiles the relative
effectiveness of different wavelengths of
radiation in driving a process

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.10
RESULTS

Absorption of light by
chloroplast pigments
Chloro-
phyll a Chlorophyll b

Carotenoids

(a) Absorption
spectra 400 500 600 700
Wavelength of light (nm)

(measured by O2 release)
Rate of photosynthesis

(b) Action spectrum 400 500 600 700

Aerobic bacteria
Filament
of alga

(c) Engelmann’s
experiment 400 500 600 700
 • Chlorophyll a is the main photosynthetic pigment
• Accessory pigments, such as chlorophyll b,
broaden the spectrum used for photosynthesis
• Accessory pigments called carotenoids absorb
excessive light that would damage chlorophyll

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.11
CH3 in chlorophyll a
CH3 CHO in chlorophyll b

Porphyrin ring

Hydrocarbon tail
(H atoms not shown)
Excitation of Chlorophyll by Light
• When a pigment absorbs light, it goes from a
ground state to an excited state, which is
unstable
• When excited electrons fall back to the ground
state, photons are given off, an afterglow called
fluorescence
• If illuminated, an isolated solution of chlorophyll
will fluoresce, giving off light and heat

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.12

Excited
e state
Energy of electron

Heat

Photon
(fluorescence)
Photon
Ground
Chlorophyll state
molecule

(a) Excitation of isolated chlorophyll molecule (b) Fluorescence

A Photosystem: A Reaction-Center Complex
Associated with Light-Harvesting
Complexes
• A photosystem consists of a reaction-center
complex (a type of protein complex) surrounded
by light-harvesting complexes
• The light-harvesting complexes (pigment
molecules bound to proteins) transfer the energy
of photons to the reaction center

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.13

Photosystem
STROMA
Photon
Light- Reaction- Primary
harvesting center electron
complexes complex acceptor
Thylakoid membrane

Chlorophyll STROMA

Thylakoid membrane
e

Transfer Special pair of Pigment

of energy chlorophyll a molecules
molecules
Protein
THYLAKOID SPACE subunits THYLAKOID
(INTERIOR OF THYLAKOID) SPACE
(a) How a photosystem harvests light (b) Structure of photosystem II
Figure 10.13a
Photosystem STROMA
Photon
Light- Reaction- Primary
harvesting center electron
complexes complex acceptor
Thylakoid membrane

e

Transfer Special pair of Pigment

of energy chlorophyll a molecules
molecules
THYLAKOID SPACE
(INTERIOR OF THYLAKOID)
(a) How a photosystem harvests light
 • A primary electron acceptor in the reaction
center accepts excited electrons and is reduced
as a result
• Solar-powered transfer of an electron from a
chlorophyll a molecule to the primary electron
acceptor is the first step of the light reactions

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • There are two types of photosystems in the
thylakoid membrane
• Photosystem II (PS II) functions first (the
numbers reflect order of discovery) and is best at
absorbing a wavelength of 680 nm
• The reaction-center chlorophyll a of PS II is
called P680

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • Photosystem I (PS I) is best at absorbing a
wavelength of 700 nm
• The reaction-center chlorophyll a of PS I is
called P700

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Linear Electron Flow
• During the light reactions, there are two possible
routes for electron flow: cyclic and linear
• Linear electron flow, the primary pathway,
involves both photosystems and produces ATP
and NADPH using light energy

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • A photon hits a pigment and its energy is passed
among pigment molecules until it excites P680
• An excited electron from P680 is transferred to
the primary electron acceptor (we now call it
P680+)

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.14-1

Primary
acceptor
2
e

P680

1 Light

Pigment
molecules

Photosystem II
(PS II)
 • P680+ is a very strong oxidizing agent
• H2O is split by enzymes, and the electrons are
transferred from the hydrogen atoms to P680+,
thus reducing it to P680
• O2 is released as a by-product of this reaction

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.14-2

Primary
acceptor
2
e
2 H H2O
+
3
1
/2 O2
e
e
P680

1 Light

Pigment
molecules

Photosystem II
(PS II)
 • Each electron “falls” down an electron transport
chain from the primary electron acceptor of PS II
to PS I
• Energy released by the fall drives the creation of
a proton gradient across the thylakoid
membrane
• Diffusion of H+ (protons) across the membrane
drives ATP synthesis

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.14-3

Ele
Primary c tron 4
acceptor tran
spo
Pq r t ch
2 ain
e
2 H H2O Cytochrome
+ complex
3
1
/2 O2
e Pc
e
P680 5

1 Light

ATP

Pigment
molecules

Photosystem II
(PS II)
 • In PS I (like PS II), transferred light energy
excites P700, which loses an electron to an
electron acceptor
• P700+ (P700 that is missing an electron) accepts
an electron passed down from PS II via the
electron transport chain

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.14-4

Primary
Ele acceptor
Primary c tron 4
acceptor tran
spo
Pq r t ch e
2 ain
e
2H  H2O Cytochrome
+ complex
3
1
/2 O2
e Pc
e P700
P680 5 Light

1 Light 6

ATP

Pigment
molecules
Photosystem I
(PS I)
Photosystem II
(PS II)
 • Each electron “falls” down an electron transport
chain from the primary electron acceptor of PS I
to the protein ferredoxin (Fd)
• The electrons are then transferred to NADP+ and
reduce it to NADPH
• The electrons of NADPH are available for the
reactions of the Calvin cycle
• This process also removes an H+ from the
stroma

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.14-5

E
tra lect
ch ns ron
ai po
Primary n rt
Ele acceptor
Primary c tron 4 7
acceptor tran
spo Fd
Pq r t ch e
2 ain e 8
e  e NADP
2H  H2O Cytochrome
NADP + H
+ complex
3 reductase
1
/2 O2 NADPH
e Pc
e P700
P680 5 Light

1 Light 6

ATP

Pigment
molecules
Photosystem I
(PS I)
Photosystem II
(PS II)
Figure 10.15

e

e e
Mill
makes
ATP NADPH
e 
e
e

n
Photo
e
ATP
n
Photo

Photosystem II Photosystem I
Cyclic Electron Flow
• Cyclic electron flow uses only photosystem I
and produces ATP, but not NADPH
• No oxygen is released
• Cyclic electron flow generates surplus ATP,
satisfying the higher demand in the Calvin cycle

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.16

Primary
Primary acceptor
Fd
acceptor Fd
Pq NADP
NADP + H
reductase
Cytochrome NADPH
complex

Pc

Photosystem I
Photosystem II ATP
What’s 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.
In photosynthesis, water is split in
order to:
1. Release oxygen.
2. Get protons and
electrons.
3. Make energy.
4. Make chlorophyll.
In photosynthesis, light energy is
captured by:
1. Protons
2. Oxygen
3. Chlorophyll
4. ATP
The membrane protein that
makes ATP is:
1. ATP synthase
2. Chlorophyll
3. ADP
4. Oxygen
A Comparison of Chemiosmosis in
Chloroplasts and Mitochondria
• Chloroplasts and mitochondria generate ATP
by chemiosmosis, but use different sources of
energy
• Mitochondria transfer chemical energy from
food to ATP; chloroplasts transform light energy
into the chemical energy of ATP
• Spatial organization of chemiosmosis differs
between chloroplasts and mitochondria but also
shows similarities

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • In mitochondria, protons are pumped to the
intermembrane space and drive ATP synthesis
as they diffuse back into the mitochondrial matrix
• In chloroplasts, protons are pumped into the
thylakoid space and drive ATP synthesis as they
diffuse back into the stroma

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.17
Mitochondrion Chloroplast

MITOCHONDRION CHLOROPLAST
STRUCTURE STRUCTURE
H Diffusion
Intermembrane Thylakoid
space space
Electron
Inner Thylakoid
transport
membrane membrane
chain

ATP
synthase
Matrix Stroma
ADP  P i ATP
Key Higher [H ]

H 

Lower [H ]
 • ATP and NADPH are produced on the side
facing the stroma, where the Calvin cycle takes
place
• In summary, light reactions generate ATP and
increase the potential energy of electrons by
moving them from H2O to NADPH

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.18

STROMA
(low H concentration) Cytochrome NADP
complex Photosystem I reductase
Photosystem II
Light
Light 4 H+ 3
NADP + H
Fd

Pq
NADPH
Pc
2
H2O
1 / 2 O2
1

THYLAKOID SPACE +2 H+ 4 H+
(high H concentration)
To
Calvin
Cycle

Thylakoid
membrane ATP
synthase
ADP
+ ATP
STROMA
Pi
(low H concentration) H+
Concept 10.3: The Calvin cycle uses the
chemical energy of ATP and NADPH to
reduce CO2 to sugar
• The Calvin cycle, like the citric acid cycle,
regenerates its starting material after molecules
enter and leave the cycle
• The cycle builds sugar from smaller molecules
by using ATP and the reducing power of
electrons carried by NADPH

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 • Carbon enters the cycle as CO2 and leaves as
a sugar named glyceraldehyde 3-phospate
(G3P)
• For net synthesis of 1 G3P, the cycle must take
place three times, fixing 3 molecules of CO2
• The Calvin cycle has three phases
– Carbon fixation (catalyzed by rubisco)
– Reduction
– Regeneration of the CO2 acceptor (RuBP)

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Light-independent reactions. Notice where ATP and
NADPH are used up.
1 Carbon
fixation
combines 6 CO2
CO2 with 2 G3P
synthesis
RuBP. uses energy.

6
12
6 RuBP
PGA
3 RuBP C3 cycle
synthesis (Calvin-
uses energy Benson
and 10 G3P. cycle) 12 ATP
12 ADP
6 ADP 12NADPH
12
6 ATP 12 NADP+
G3P
4 G3P available for
synthesis of carbon
compounds such
as glucose. glucose
(or other molecules)
What’s 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.
The source of carbon to make carbon compounds
in photosynthesis is:
1. Glucose
2. G3P
3. Carbon dioxide
4. Water
Which of these happens in the
Calvin 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.
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
The Importance of Photosynthesis: A Review
• The energy entering chloroplasts as sunlight gets
stored as chemical energy in organic compounds
• Sugar made in the chloroplasts supplies chemical
energy and carbon skeletons to synthesize the
organic molecules of cells
• Plants store excess sugar as starch in structures
such as roots, tubers, seeds, and fruits
• In addition to food production, photosynthesis
produces the O2 in our atmosphere

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 10.22

H2O CO2

Light
NADP
ADP
+ Pi
Light RuBP
Reactions: 3-Phosphoglycerate
Photosystem II Calvin
Electron transport chain Cycle
Photosystem I
Electron transport chain
ATP
G3P
Starch
NADPH (storage)

Chloroplast

O2 Sucrose (export)
While animals can only do cellular respiration, plants make
“food” using photosynthesis and break the “food” down for
energy in cellular respiration.

(chloroplast)

photosynthesis

H2O CO2 ATP sugar O2

cellular
respiration
(mitochondrion)
 Animals Plants

Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration Cellular Respiration
Day Day

Night Night

Cellular Respiration Cellular Respiration

Photosynthesis supplies the “food” that plants need to carry

out cellular respiration.
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 Little glucose
cells 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.

C4 plants use the C4 pathway CO2 is captured with
a highly specific enzyme.
CO2

PEP
C4
4-carbon Pathway
AMP molecule

ATP within mesophyll

chloropast

pyruvate
CO2 O2

PGA rubisco CO2

stoma C3
RuBP
bundle- Cycle
sheath G3P Almost no
cells photorespiration
occurs in hot, dry
glucose
conditions.
In a C4 plant, both mesophyll
and bundle-sheath cells contain within bundle-sheath
chloropast
chloroplasts.
Lots of glucose is synthesized.

C4 plants essentially store carbon for hot times of the day.

Guess what pathway many weeds use?
8.14 Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) (Part 1)

1. Starch is degraded at night to

form PEP, a 3-carbon
compound.

2. PEP combines with HCO3-

(hydrated CO2 from atm).
Reaction is catalyzed by
PEP-carboxylase.

3. The 4-carbon acid (OAA) is

converted to Malate where it
is actively (ATP) pumped into
vacuole and stored as malic
acid.

4. Acidity (and malic acid

concentration) of vacuole
builds up at night as reaction
proceeds.
8.14 Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) (Part 2)

1. The next morning,

stomates close, and malic
acid is transported out of
vacuole and
decarboxylated to
Pyruvate.

2. CO2 concentration builds

inside tissues where it
diffuses to chloroplasts to
be assimilated by Rubisco
in Calvin cycle.

3. Some of the starch that is

built up during day is
converted at night to PEP.
Figure 10.UN02

El
ec
ro t
El Primary n
ec ch tr
tr acceptor ai an
Primary on n sp
acceptor ch tr Fd or
ai an t
n sp
H2O or NADP
Pq t NADP + H
reductase
O2 Cytochrome NADPH
complex

Pc

Photosystem I
ATP
Photosystem II
Figure 10.UN06
Figure 10.UN07
Figure 10.UN08