Lecture 6: Photosynthesis Flashcards
1
Q
Photosynthesis
A
- main route by which energy enters the biosphere
- creation of organic matter
- high energy organic compounds (like carbohydrates) are made from low-energy, highly abundant, non-toxic inorganic compounds (CO2 & H2O) sing energy from the sun
- Net equation of two sets of reactions:
6CO2+ 12 H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
2
Q
Photosynthetic net equation
A
Net equation of two sets of reactions:
6 CO2 + 12 H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
3
Q
Metabolic Chemical Reactions
A
- chemical reactions either release or require energy
- exergonic reactions
- endergonic reactions
- ATP
- ADP
- AMP
- in metabolic systems you see exergonic and endergonic reactions coupled together
4
Q
Exergonic reactions
A
- potential energy of substrates greater than that of products (energy out)
- (left side of the equation(input) is greater than the right side (products))
5
Q
Endergonic reactions
A
- potential energy of substrates is lower than that of products (energy in)
- (left side is less than the right side of the equation)
6
Q
ATP
A
- adenosine triphosphate
- main energy carrier of cells
- covalent bonds between phosphate groups contain potential energy
7
Q
ADP
A
Adenosine diphosphate
8
Q
AMP
A
Adenosine monophosphate
9
Q
Redox reactions
A
- reduction and oxidation happening simultaneously
- during chemical reactions electrones (e-) may shift energy levels and move from one atom to another creating oxidation-reduction reactions
- think “LEO the lion goes GER”
- oxidations and reduction reaction occur in pairs
- electron transfer is accompanied by H+ transfer
- electrons and protons are transferred by via electron transport chains made up of electron acceptor molecules, such as NAD+ = nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; NADP+ = nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate
- at each link in chain some energy is lost as heat or to do metabolic work
10
Q
Oxidation
A
when an atom loses an electron it is oxidized
11
Q
Reduction
A
when an atom gains an electron it is reduced
12
Q
Ordered chemical reactions
A
- in cells chemcial reactions are organized into pathways
- reactions are catalyzed by enzymes
- product of one reaction bemoes substrate of another
- in cyclic pathways the starting molecule of the cycle is always regernated in the last step of the cycle
13
Q
Where does biomass of the biosphere come from?
A
Annually photosynthetic organisms produce > 250 million metric tons of carbohydrates
14
Q
Applications to photosynthesis
A
- photosynthesis captures the energy of visible light
- the longer the wavelength the less energy it carries
- visible light has the right amount of energy to excite electrons in organic molecules
- biomass of the biosphere….it all comes from photosynthetic reactions
15
Q
Electron states:
GROUND STATE
A
- the lowest energy state of an electron is the ground state