Exam 2 - Photosynthesis Flashcards
(26 cards)
equation for photosynthesis
CO2 + water + sunlight = glucose + oxygen
Light reactions
conversion of sunlight into ATP and NADPH
Dark reactions
formation of carbohydrates
composition of chloroplasts
outer membrane intermembrane space inner membrane stroma (matrix) thylakoids
what are grana
stacks of thylakoids
chlorophyll a and b
reflect green and yellow
absorb red and blue
sunlight excites the pigments and water is split
where do the light reactions occur
in the thylakoids
where do the dark reactions occur
in the stroma
resonance energy transfer
the transfer of e- to pigments
photoexcitation
e- energized from the ground state to excited state
flow of electrons in light reactions
- PS II
- Plastoquinones
- cytochrome complex
- plastocyanin
- PS I
- Ferredoxin/Ferredoxin reductase
what is the final electron acceptor for photosynthesis
NADP+
photophosphorylation
H+ gradient used to synthesize ATP using ATP synthase
where does the calvin cycle occur
in the stroma of the chloroplast
what is required for the calvin cycle
ATP and CO2
how does the calvin cycle begin
with 3 ribulose 1,5 bisphosphates and 3 CO2 molecules being converted to 6 molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate
how many molecules of G3P are made and how many go in each direction
- 5 remain in the cycle, 1 leaves to make the carbohydrate
which carbohydrate is G3P converted into
if it leaves the chloroplast = sucrose
if it stays in chloroplast = starch
rubisco
most abundant enzyme on Earth
can act as a carboxylase or a oxygenase
what happens if rubisco makes phosphoglycolate
it has no use in the calvin cycle, so it enters the glycolate pathway
what is the glycolate pathway
it returns most of the carbons in phosphoglycolate to 3-phosphoglycerate and the other carbons as CO2 (photorespiration)
without this, phosphoglycolate would become toxic and ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate would not be generated
what is the solution to increased Rubisco oxygenase function
confine rubisco to cells that contain high [CO2]
what are C3 plants
plants that have the calvin cycle in mesophyll cells for increased CO2 (no issues)
what are C4 plants
plants that have the calvin cycle in bundle sheath cells (can create issues)