Photosynthesis Flashcards
Where does the light dependent stage occur
the thylakoid membranes
The basic stages of the light dependent stage
1- photolysis of water
2- synthesis of ATP from ADP by photophosphorylation
3- formation of NADPH by the reduction of NADP
Photolysis of water
UV light enters PSII and catalyses the photolysis of water, producing 1/2 of an O2 molecule, 2 H+ ions and 2 electrons
Photophosphorylation (until PSII)
1- the electrons become excited and are carried along a series of electron carriers, down successively lower energy levels
2- this allows energy to be released and used in synthesis of ATP by photophosphorylation.
Photophosphorylation (PSI and after)
1- the electrons enter PSI and are again excited by UV light
2- the excited electrons are carried, along another electron transport chain by carriers at successively lower energy levels, to NADP and reduce it to NADPH, along with the H+ ions produced from photolysis
What does an absorption spectra show
The relative absorption of light by different pigments at particular wavelengths
What does an action spectra show
The rate of photosynthesis that takes place at different wavelengths of light
The process of light harvesting
Light energy is absorbed by a pigment, and causes it to to be excited. Through resonance transfer, the light energy is transferred through the antenna complex until it reaches the reaction centre, where chlorophyll-a is located in large quantities