photosynthesis Flashcards
what is photosynthesis
the process by which carbohydrates are synthesised from carbon dioxide and water using light energy
where does photosynthesis take place
in the chloroplast
draw and label a chloroplast
-outer membrane
-inner membrane
-stroma
-granum (stack of thylakoids)
inter-grana; thylakoid/lamella
starch grain
lipid droplet
ring of DNA
adaptions of a chloroplast
4
- stacked thylakoids: increase surface area for light absorption
-chloroplass are abundant in the palisade layer: this is near the upper surface of the leaf where more light to be captured
-chloroplast have many grana: large SA for photosynthetic pigments, electron carriers and ATP synthetase involved in photosytnesis
-they can move around within palisade mesophyll cells to optimise light absorption by the thylakoids
draw and label angiosperm
where is the main site of photosynthesis in plant leaves
palisade mesophyll cells/tissues
what part of the leaf has the most chloroplast
top of the leaf
in the palisade cells
why are chloroplasts often described as transducers
can be called ‘energy transducers’ because they change energy from one form into another
they turn the energy in photons of light into chemical energy which is incorporated into molecules like glucose
adaptions of leaves for photosynthesis
-leaf is thin so light penetrates through the leaf, there is a short diffusion distance for carbon dioxide to travel from the stomata to the palisade mesophyll cells
- the cuticle and upper epidermis are transparent which allows light to pass through to chloroplasts in the mesophyll layers of the leaf
-spongy mesophyll layer contains loosely packed cells with air spaces between them to allow the diffusion of carbon dioxide to photosynthesising cells in the leaf
what do plants do to absorb as much light energy as possible
they have a variety of different pigments in their chloroplast
what is a photosynthetic pigment
is a chemical substance that is present in chloroplasts to absorb the light energy necessary for photosynthesis
2 groups of photosynthetic pigments found in green plants
chlorophyll
carotenoids
2 types of chlorophyll
(green and in all green plants)
a
b
carotenoids..
carotene (orange and in all plants)
xanthophyll (yellow and in most plants)
where are photosystems found
embedded in the thylakoid membrane