photosynthesis Flashcards
components of a chloroplast
starch grains
circular DNA
outer membrane
inner membrane
intergranal lamellae
70s ribosomes
stroma
grana
thylakoid discs
outer membrane vs inner membrane of chloroplast
inner membrane is more selective than outer membrane bc it has less transport proteins
intergranal lamellae function
connect grana
allow for sharing of resources
stroma contains what
enzymes involved in the light-independent reaction (Calvin cycle)
what are the thylakoids the site of
light dependent reaction
thylakoid discs contain what
photosynthetic pigments embedded in the thylakoid membrane
rough size of a chloroplast
10um
describe and explain how proteins are produced in a chloroplast
requires 70s ribosomes and circular DNA (encodes many proteins involved in p/s)
mRNA transcribed from a gene within the circular DNA using RNA polymerase
mRNA translated by a 70s ribosome to form a sequence of amino acids (primary structure)
what are the 2 types of photosynthetic pigments
primary pigments
accessory pigments
examples of primary pigment
chlorophyll a and b
what wavelengths of light does chlorophyll a absorb
wavelengths of light in the blue and red regions of the visible spectrum
examples of accessory pigments
chlorophyll b
carotenoids
xanthophylls
purpose of accessory pigments
increase the range of wavelengths of light that can be absorbed (so increase the rate of photosynthesis bc more energy can be captured from sunlight)
5 types of chlorophyll
chlorophyll a,b,c,d and bacteriochlorophyll
structure of chlorophyll molecule
hydrophobic till that inserts into the thylakoid membrane
porphyrin ring head that absorbs light
what makes chlorophyll a different to chlorophyll b
A converts light energy to chemical energy
what contains chlorophyll a vs b
all photosynthetic plants, algae and cyanobacteria contain chlorophyll a
only plants and green algae contain chlorophyll b, along w/ a few types of cyanobacteria
what wavelengths of light do carotenoids absorb
violet and blue-green
use of carotenoids (animals)
used as advertisements to attract animals, which can help the plant’s seeds
(e.g. red of tomato, yellow of corn seeds, orange of orange peel)
carotenoids function (p/s)
help capture light
get rid of excess light energy: when a leaf is exposed to full sun, it receives a huge amount of energy; if that energy is not handled properly, it can damage the photosynthetic machinery
carotenoids in chloroplasts help absorb the excess energy and dissipate it as heat
what does an absorption spectra show
the range of wavelengths of light that can be absorbed by certain pigments (shows individual pigments)w
what does an action spectra show?
the rate of photosynthesis at each wavelength of light (incorporates absorption of all pigments)
what is a photosystem
a light-harvesting complex embedded in the thylakoid membrane
components of a photosystem
accessory pigments
reaction centre
chlorophyll a
outline the importance of photosynthetic pigments in photosynthesis
primary pigments (e.g. chlorophyll a) absorb photons and excite electrons
accessory pigments channel light energy towards the primary pigment and increase the range of wavelengths of light that can be absorbed
this produces ATP and rescued NADP (NADPH), which can then be used in the light-independent stage
oxidation is?
loss of electrons
loss of hydrogen atoms
gain of oxygen
reduction is?
gain of electrons
gain of hydrogen atoms
loss of oxygen
what are the 2 stages of photosynthesis
light dependent stage
light independent stage
where does the light dependent stage of p/s take place
thylakoid membrane
where does light independent stage of p/s take place
stroma
first step of light-dependent stage of photosynthesis? ( in ps1 )
a photon of light is channelled through photosystem 2 towards the reaction centre
it hits chlorophyll, which excites electrons
water is split in photolysis by a water-splitting enzyme into H atoms and O2. each H atom splits into a proton (H+) and an electron
what happens to the hydrogen, oxygen and electrons after photolysis
the H+ are used in the synthesis of ATP and form proton gradient
the electrons are fed back in to the chlorophyll a of PS2 to reduce it so that another electron can be excited by a photon of light
the oxygen is used in aerobic respiration or diffuses out of the stomata