PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Campbell et al., Chapter 10
Photoautotrophs (chemoautotrophs barely significant)
6 CO2 + 6 H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6 O2
6 CO2 + 12H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6H2O actually
light for energy, corn photosynthesis up with greater light
Spectrum light comes in waves (also photons)
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.5)
X,Gamma, UV, "visible," IR, radio, radar
Visible: 400 -700 nm (10-9), mm wavelength
short: ionize (damage), middle: excite electrons (reactions), long: vibrate
molecules (heat, waste)
Sun cut-off 300 nm because of ozone (O3), peak at visible wavelengths, tail
way out to long wavelengths
DNA 260 nm (absorption peak and possible damage)
Protein 280 nm (absorption peak and possible damage)
terrestrial life could only evolve after ozone
evolution of "vision" to use the light that is present:
also "near" UV (UVA, 300-400 nm), visible, IR (snakes).
SHOW UV LAMP
Plants also use visible light
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.7) "the process of science" absorption spectrum
white light split into spectrum and monochromatic wavelength picked through
slit
Here is my monochromator
with yellow light feeding through the slit
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.8) Pigments
Chlorophyll absorb MOSTLY long wavelengths
Antenna pigments (including carotenoids) absorb shorter wavelengths and
transfer energy to chlorophylls
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.6) Leaves are green because they absorb all but green
light
Fall colors are because carotenoids remain after chlorophyll is lost
In summary, leaves get most of the ight available
Leaves
Must increase area. Problems with water loss (considering area of leaves
for light capture)
Cuticle
Stoma close at night (except in CAM (crassulacian acid metabolism)
plants, desert succulants, store CO2 in organic acids
and close if too hot
light and low CO2 cause stomata to open
Chloroplast TRANSPARANCY (Fig. 10.4)
-- grana stacks
-- stroma (dark reactions) fluid matrix
-- thykaloid space (light reactions)
---------(lamellae) fret connect stacks
intracellular symbiote theory for chloroplasts and mitochondria
Light reactions
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.12)
H2O used
H2O split to electrons, H+, O
electron transport gives bits of energy to molecules transporting electrons
electron donors, acceptors, transport
"Photosystem" = several hundred "antenna" + trap chlorophyll
a
electron and light to PSII (680 nm chlorophyll)
ADP + P --> ATP
then electron to PSI 700 nm chlorophyll
2 H+ + NADP+ --> NADPH (reduction) (O2 used or put out)
O2 not put into carbohydrate TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.3)
at night, use O2, put out CO2
in grana of chloroplasts
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.17)
ATP + NADPH to dark reactions (light independent) CO2 used
12 NADPH --> 12 NADP (give H to carbohydrate)
18 ATP --> 18 ADP + 18 P (give energy)
CO2 fixation and reduction C and O2 to carbohydrate
(not O of H2O, covered above)
Calvin cycle, 1961 Nobel, 14C,
add CO2 to "rubisco"
(glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate 3 carbon sugar made) -> sugar
C3 (3-phosphoglyceric acid after CO2 added to rubisco
TRANSPARENCY (Fig. 10.18) C4 sugar cane, crab grass (for hot and dry)
(a 4-carbon compound, anatomy of leaf different)
ADP, P, and NADP to light reactions
SUMMARY TRANSPARANCY like Fig. 10.20
This page was last updated 6/24/02
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