5.17 Energy for Biological Processes Flashcards
Define autotroph
Organism which produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules from light or inorganic chemical reactions
Define heterotroph
Organisms which ingest and digest complex organic molecules through chemical reactions
Define chemoautotrophs
Organisms that make their own complex organic molecules through chemical reactions
What is the role of the inner membrane in the chloroplast?
Controls the movements of substances
What is the function of having many grana in a chloroplast?
Provides a large surface area
What is the function of the stroma in the chloroplast?
Contains enzymes for the light-dependent stage
Why are the stroma and the grana located close together?
Allows the stages of photosynthesis to pass materials
What are the two forms of chlorophyll a?
P680 and P700
What is the primary pigment?
Chlorophyll a
Give 2 examples of accessory pigments
- Chlorphyll b
- Carotenoids
Give 2 examples of carotenoids
- Carotene
- Xanthophyll
Where are photosynthetic pigments found?
Within the photosystems, in the thylakoid membrane
What are the 2 stages of the light-dependent stage?
- Photophosphorylation
- Photolysis
What is photophosphorylation?
The synthesis of ATP from ADP and Pi using light energy
What is photolysis?
Splitting of H₂O molecules to produce H⁺ ions and electrons
What is light energy absorbed by photosystems used for?
- Making ATP from ADP and Pi (Photophosphorylation)
- Making NADP-red from NADP (NADP + 2H⁺ → NADP-red
- Photolysis
What is the role of water in the light-dependent stage?
Source of: - Electrons used to replace those lost by oxidised chlorophyll
- H⁺ ions used in chemiosmosis; they are accepted by NADP to form NADP-red
What is chemiosmosis?
Process of forming ATP by diffusing through the thylakoid membrane and ATP synthase
What is a proton motive force?
When the protons are caught by NADP in the stroma
Which photosystems does the light-dependent stage use?
Photosystem II and Photosystem I
Outline the process of the light-dependent stage
- Light hits PSII, excites pair of electrons which leave chlorophyll molecule
- These are passed along the electron transport chain and a little energy is released
- Meanwhile, light has struck PSI and a pair of electrons have been excited
- These electrons (with an H⁺ made at PSII by photolysis) join NADP - becomes NADP-red
- The electron from oxidised PSII replace the electrons lost from PSI
- H⁺ ions from water take part in chemiosmosis to make ATP - then caught by NADP in stroma - this is proton motive force.
What is cyclic phosphorylation?
Only uses PSI (P700)
Excited electrons pass to an electron acceptor and back to their original chlorophyll molecule
No photolysis of water and no NADP-red is generated
Small amounts of ATP are produced
Part of the light-dependent stage but also part of light-independent stage
What is the light-independent stage?
- Does not require light
- Driven and dependent on products from the light-dependent stage
- Takes place in the stroma
- Produces sugars which are then stored as starch
Outline the process of the calvin cycle
- RuBp - CO₂ is fixed via enzyme RuBisCo - Carboxylation
- This forms 2x GP
- GP is reduced to 2x TP - NADP-red is oxidised to NADP - ATD is changed to ADP + Pi
- TP is regenerated to RuBp and ATP is changed to ADP + Pi
What can GP be used to create?
Amino acids
Fatty acids
What can TP be used to create?
Glycerol
Hexose sugars
What can glycerol and fatty acids create?
Lipids - used for membranes