Biology

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8-3 The Reactions of
Photosynthesis

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Inside a Chloroplast

Inside a Chloroplast
In plants, photosynthesis takes place inside
chloroplasts.
Plant

Chloroplast

Plant cells
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Inside a Chloroplast

Chloroplasts contain thylakoids—saclike

photosynthetic membranes.

Single
thylakoid

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Inside a Chloroplast

Thylakoids are arranged in stacks known as

grana. A singular stack is called a granum.
Granum

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Inside a Chloroplast

Proteins in the thylakoid membrane organize

chlorophyll and other pigments into clusters called
photosystems, which are the light-collecting units
of the chloroplast.

Photosystems

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Inside a Chloroplast

H2O CO2
Light

NADP+
ADP + P

Light- Calvin
Calvin
dependent cycle
Cycle
reactions

Chloroplast

O2 Sugars
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Electron Carriers

Electron Carriers
When electrons in chlorophyll absorb sunlight, the
electrons gain a great deal of energy.
Cells use electron carriers to transport these high-
energy electrons from chlorophyll to other
molecules.

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Electron Carriers

One carrier molecule is NADP+.

Electron carriers, such as NADP+, transport
electrons.
NADP+ accepts and holds 2 high-energy electrons
along with a hydrogen ion (H+). This converts the
NADP+ into NADPH.

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions

Light-Dependent Reactions
The light-dependent reactions require light.
The light-dependent reactions produce
oxygen gas and convert ADP and NADP+
into the energy carriers ATP and NADPH.

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8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
Photosynthesis begins when pigments in
photosystem II absorb light, increasing their
energy level.

Photosystem II

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
These high-energy electrons are passed on to the
electron transport chain.

Photosystem II

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
Enzymes on the thylakoid membrane break water
molecules into:

Photosystem II

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
• hydrogen ions
• oxygen atoms
• energized electrons
Photosystem II

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
The energized electrons from water replace the
high-energy electrons that chlorophyll lost to the
electron transport chain.

Photosystem II

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
As plants remove electrons from water, oxygen is
left behind and is released into the air.

Photosystem II

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
The hydrogen ions left behind when water is
broken apart are released inside the thylakoid
membrane.

Photosystem II

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
Energy from the electrons is used to transport H +
ions from the stroma into the inner thylakoid
space.

Photosystem II

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
High-energy electrons move through the electron
transport chain from photosystem II to
photosystem I.

Photosystem II

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
Pigments in photosystem I use energy from
light to re-energize the electrons.

+ O2

2H2O

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
NADP+ then picks up these high-energy
electrons, along with H+ ions, and becomes
NADPH.

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
As electrons are passed from chlorophyll to
NADP+, more H+ ions are pumped across the
membrane.

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
Soon, the inside of the membrane fills up with
positively charged hydrogen ions, which makes
the outside of the membrane negatively charged.

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
The difference in charges across the membrane
provides the energy to make ATP

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions

H+ ions cannot cross the membrane directly.

ATP synthase

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
The cell membrane contains a protein called ATP
synthase that allows H+ ions to pass through it

ATP synthase

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
As H+ ions pass through ATP synthase, the
protein rotates.

ATP synthase

+ O2

2H2O

2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
As it rotates, ATP synthase binds ADP and a
phosphate group together to produce ATP.

ATP synthase

+ O2

2H2O

ADP
2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis Light-Dependent
Reactions
Because of this system, light-dependent electron
transport produces not only high-energy electrons
but ATP as well.
ATP synthase

+ O2

2H2O

ADP
2 NADP+
2
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

What is the Calvin cycle?

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

The Calvin cycle uses ATP and NADPH

from the light-dependent reactions to
produce high-energy sugars.
Because the Calvin cycle does not require
light, these reactions are also called the
light-independent reactions.

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

Six carbon dioxide molecules enter the cycle from

the atmosphere and combine with six 5-carbon
molecules.

CO2 Enters the Cycle

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

The result is twelve 3-carbon molecules, which

are then converted into higher-energy forms.

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

The energy for this conversion comes from ATP

and high-energy electrons from NADPH.

Energy Input

12

12 ADP

12 NADPH

12 NADP+

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

Two of twelve 3-carbon molecules are removed

from the cycle.

Energy Input

12

12 ADP

12 NADPH

12 NADP+

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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

The molecules are used to produce sugars, lipids,

amino acids and other compounds.

12

12 ADP

12 NADPH

12 NADP+

6-Carbon sugar
produced
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Sugars and other compounds
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

The 10 remaining 3-carbon molecules are

converted back into six 5-carbon molecules,
which are used to begin the next cycle.

12

12 ADP
6 ADP
12 NADPH
6
12 NADP+

5-Carbon Molecules
Regenerated

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Sugars and other compounds
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 8-3 The Reactions of Photosynthesis The Calvin Cycle

The two sets of photosynthetic reactions work

together.
• The light-dependent reactions trap sunlight
energy in chemical form.
• The light-independent reactions use that
chemical energy to produce stable, high-
energy sugars from carbon dioxide and water.

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END OF SECTION