Mid Term Review Flashcards
Ace this thing. Prove you are a good biologist.
What is photosynthesis?
Process using sunlight to produce carbohydrate. Needs sunlight, CO2, and H2O, making O2 as a by-product.
Briefly summarise the historical perspectives of photosynthesis. (multistep)
1700’s:
The belief that plant nourishment was from the air.
Second perspective
1700’s:
Perhaps O2? Mouse under the glass makes air “bad”, but survives when a plant is there!
Third perspective
1800’s:
OOH PLants gain weight, therefore not just CO2 and O2 released….. Mayhaps WATER?
Fourth Perspective
1900’s:
Do CO2 and H2O react directly to make carbs? Fellow studying sulfur bacteria, figures out the oxygen spat out comes from H2O!
Fifth perspective
1939:
H2O splitting in presence of light is called HILL REACTION
Sixth perspective
1900’s
Radioactive carbon 14 used. Found that CO2 used to make sugar. We know now that reactions use ATP and NADPH made by photosynthesis.
Seventh perspective
2000’s:
Crystallography and Fourier-transform spectroscopy help us understand the energy efficiency and methods of photosynthetic pathways
What is the purpose of Photosynthesis?
Energy from the sun must be transformed into chemical energy for use by organisms who make it, and eat it from them.
Where does Photosynthesis occur?
- In autotrophic tissue containing chlorophyll (green pigment)
- 40-50 chloroplasts per cell
- specifically, the Thylakoid, grana, and stroma
How does photosynth occur? (Basics)
- Light DEPENDENT rxns produce O2 from H2O
- Calvin Cycle (Light INDEPENDENT) produces sugar from CO2
- E-s are released in the light DEP. rxns when H2O is split to form O2 gas
- E-s are transferred to NADP+, making NADPH
- Calvin Cycle uses this NADPH to make CO2
Light-dependent reactions. Overview
Photosystem II, then photosystem I. Linked by the Z-scheme
What is phosphorylation?
The capture of light energy by PS II to make ATP.
Essentially tossing on a Phosphate
What is the order of the Photosystems?
II then I
Why have two PS’s
Together, they capture red and far-red light to more than double the efficiency of the processes. (Called an ENHANCEMENT EFFECT)
What is a photosystem?
A complex of chlorophyll molecules working together in groups.
Where does photosystem 2 take place?
In the thylakoid membrane.
A photon hits chlorophyll in PS2. What happens next?
Chlorophyll is oxidized, electron leaves the chlorophyll and goes to pheophytin where an ETC begins to unfold.
Where does E- go after Pheophytin?
Plastiquinone then cytochrome complex
What happens in the ETC
The E- is passed through a series of redox rxns, stepping down its energy bit-by-bit
What do the Redox rxns in PS2 do?
They pump protons into the thyllakoid lumen. Increase the concentration 1000 fold.
Where does the electron for the electron transport chain come from?
WATER
What is oxygenic photosynthesis?
When PS II “Splits water” to replace its lost electrons, and produces O2 in the process.
What is proton motive force and why is it important?
In PS II, the increased electronegativity in the thylakoid lumen is balanced by the diffusion of protons across the membrane to equalise concentrations. This force is harnessed by ATP synthase to phosphorylate ADP. Ultimately called photophosphorylation.
How are PS I and II linked?
Cytochrome complex passes the electron of PS II to plastocyanin, which carries it to P700 chlorophyll.
What happens after PS II and I are linked?
The P700 chlorophyll is excited by another photon to another ETC. More H2O is oxidized to replace the E-s lost from P700
What happens in the ETC of PS 1
P700 passes two E-s to ferredoxin, which oxidizes NADP+ to NADPH for the Calvin cycle.
Basic input/output of Calvin cycle.
OUT:
TWO 3C molecules
IN:
ONE Carbon Dioxide molecule
Where does the Calvin Cycle occur?
In the stroma of the chloroplast (the space) (like cytoplasm)
What are the three phases of the Calvin Cycle?
1) Fixation of CO2 to 3-PhosphoGlycerate by RuBP
2) 3-PGA is phosphorylated by ATP and reduced by NADPH to form G3P
3) Remaining G3P not used for glucose goes to regenerating RuBP
What is Rubisco and what’s its problem?
It’s an enzyme used to catalyze one of the parts of CO2 fixation. It’s the most prevalent protein in the world!
It is a slow enzyme, only catalyzing a few rxns/sec as opposed to thousands.
What is photorespiration?
When plants take up Oxygen for substrate of Rubisco .
Why is photorespiration a real bummer for plants?
Because in order to take in the O, a C is lost, which can’t go towards sugar. To fix it, another ATP and CO2 must be used.
Where does CO2 fixation occur?
In the mesophyll cells of plants.
What’s the difference between STOMA and STROMA?
A stoma is the singular of STOMATA, which are the guard cells of plants guarding the pores of plants where CO2 and water exchange take place, and stroma are the spaces between chloroplast membrane and thylakoid.
When are stomata open? Closed?
Typically open during the night, or when CO2 concentration is depleted in photosynthesis and closed in the day to prevent water loss.
What is the problem with the Calvin cycle?
When C3 plants are in hot and dry conditions, they must keep their stomata closed to prevent water loss, which stops photosynthesis.
What is the solution to the water loss problem of C3 plants?
C4 plants! Carbon fixation and the Calvin Cycle occur in different types of cells. Spatial partioning.
How does C4 photosynthesis work? Best advantage?
C4 makes CO2 into 4-C molecules, not G3P
These travel to bundle-sheath cells, release a CO2, used by Rubsico to make 3-PGA, start Calvin Cycle.
Reduces the damaging effects of photorespiration.
How does CAM photosynth differ from C4 photosynthesis?
Temporal partitioning as opposed to spatial.
How does CAM photosynth work?
Open stomata in the nighttime , close in the day. Still uses C4 acids, just during the day.
First organisms to perform photosynthesis?
Ancient Cyanobacteria.
Why is photosynthesis so inefficient?
It is a robust system. Works across a broad range of environments, and has solutions to make it work in the more difficult environments. It is a robust system.
Why is biorefinery process so difficult?
We are limited by the efficiency of the organisms.
What are battery molecules?
Molecules with easily breakable bonds for energy storage and retrieval. Glucose is an example.
What is cellular respiration?
The input of glucose (chemical energy), resulting in the output of ATP (usable energy) and NADPH (also usable energy)
Where does cellular respiration take place?
Glycolysis in the cytoplasm of the cell. Citric acid cycle in the mitochondria (POWERHOUSE).
Give an overview of glucose processing:
- Glycolysis
- Pyruvate processing
- Krebs (citric acid) cycle
- ETC
What is fermentation?
An alternate pathway to continue performing glycolysis when no electron acceptor exists and the ETC is shut down.
Summarise step one of glucose processing:
Glycolysis breaks glucose into two 3C pyruvate molecules.
Pyruvate is used to phosphorylate ADP to ATP, and NAD+ is oxidized to NADH