Photosynthesis

Animations
Student Worksheet
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INTRODUCTION
This worksheet complements the animation series Photosynthesis.

PROCEDURE
1. This animation series contains seven parts. Read the questions below for each part before watching it.
2. After watching each part, answer the questions in the spaces provided.
3. After completing all seven parts of the animation, answer the summary questions in Part 8.

QUESTIONS
PART 1: OVERVIEW
1. Which of the following kinds of organisms do photosynthesis? Select all that apply.

____plants ____fungi ____animals ____algae ____all bacteria ____some bacteria

2. What is the overall purpose of photosynthesis?

3. On Diagram 1, fill in the labels with photosynthesis’s main inputs and outputs of matter and energy.

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Photosynthesis Student Worksheet

PART 2: CHEMICAL PROCESS

1. Complete the following sentence.
Photosynthesis is a set of ____________________________ in which ____________energy is converted to
__________________energy.

2. On Diagram 2, fill in the labels with the following descriptions. Some of the objects have multiple labels.
● water (H2O)
● carbon dioxide (CO2)
● oxygen (O2)
● G3P (sugar)
● electron acceptor
● electron donor
● carbohydrates
● energy input

3PART : LEAF STRUCTURE

1. In what plant structures does photosynthesis occur? Make your description as specific as you can.

2. On Diagram 3, complete the following tasks.

a) Draw how CO2 gets into
the leaf.
b) Draw how O2 gets out of
the leaf.
c) Label the name of the
structure through which
these gases pass.

3. What structure is used to transport organic molecules from the leaf to other parts of the plant?

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Photosynthesis Student Worksheet
4. Why are leaves green?

PART 4: CHLOROPLASTS
1. On Diagram 4, label the following items. Multiple labels may apply to the same part of the diagram.
● location of the light reactions
● location of the Calvin cycle
● thylakoid
● stroma

2. On Diagram 5, fill in the labels with the following descriptions to show the connections between the light
reactions and the Calvin cycle.
● carbon dioxide (CO2)
● oxygen (O2)
● G3P (sugar)
● ATP
● NADPH

3. How does a plant increase its biomass?

PART 5: LIGHT REACTIONS

Photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII)
1. What is the function of the photosystems?

2. On Diagram 6, complete the following tasks.

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a) Label PSI
and PSII.
b) Draw the
path of the
electron
transport
chain.

The Events of the Light Reactions

3. For PSII, the cytochrome complex, and PSI, draw and label what happens at that structure on Diagram 6.
Then describe the events in a bulleted list in Table 1.

Table 1: Descriptions of the steps in the light reactions.

Structure What is happening with matter? What is happening with energy?
PSII

cytochrome
complex

PSI

4. At the end of the electron transport chain, where is the light energy that was absorbed and converted by
chlorophyll stored? List two answers.

Chemiosmosis and ATP Synthase

5. Label the ATP synthase on Diagram 6.
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6. Describe how the proton (H+) gradient is used to make ATP.

7. What two molecules bring chemical energy from the light reactions to the next stage of photosynthesis, the
Calvin cycle?

PART 6: CALVIN CYCLE

1. Label Diagram 7 with the three phases of the Calvin cycle.

Briefly describe what is going on in each phase and answer the questions shown.
Phase 1 (Diagram 8)
Description:

What enzyme catalyzes the reaction in this phase?

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Phase 2 (Diagram 9)
Description:

Phase 3 (Diagram 10)

Description:
Why is the series of reactions in the Calvin cycle called a
“cycle”?

2. At the end of the Calvin cycle, what molecules have the energy that originally came from light?

PART 7: BIOSYNTHESIS
1. Complete the following sentence based on Diagram 11.
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) can be used by plant cells to make
___________________ and _________________.

2. Which molecule in Diagram 11 is used to transport energy to other parts of

the plant?

3. Which molecule in Diagram 11 is stored in the plant for later use as an

energy source?

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Photosynthesis Student Worksheet
PART 8: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
1. Based on everything you’ve learned from the animations, what is the overall purpose of photosynthesis?

2. Describe how oxygen gas (O2) is produced during photosynthesis. Include the specific structures in the plant
where the reaction occurs.

3. Describe the path of an electron from a molecule of water to the sugar G3P.

4. Describe how ATP is produced in the light reactions.

5. Which of the following statements best explains how the energy in a photon of light is stored in a molecule of
the sugar G3P? ________
a. Light energy directly provides energy to RuBP and CO 2, which produce G3P in the Calvin cycle.
b. Light energy directly provides energy to ATP synthase, which produces ATP during the light reactions.
c. Light energy energizes electrons to make ATP and NADPH, which provide energy to produce G3P in the
Calvin cycle.

6. When three molecules of carbon dioxide (CO 2) react with three molecules of RuBP during the Calvin cycle, six
molecules of the sugar G3P are produced. One G3P molecule exits the Calvin cycle during Phase 2. What
happens to the other five G3P molecules?

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