3.2 Photosynthesis Flashcards
Chloroplasts
- Light trapping organelles found in the cells of the leaf and stem
- Most chloroplasts found in the palisade mesophyll cells
How are Chloroplasts transducers?
They convert the light energy of photons into chemical energy as ATP
Photosynthetic pigments
Absorb photons at different wavelengths of light and begin its conversion to storable chemical energy:
- Chlorophylls
- Carotenoids
Chlorophylls
- Chlorophyll a
- Chlorophyll b
They absorb photons of light in the BLUE-VIOLET and RED regions of the light spectrum
Carotenoids (Accessory pigments)
- β-carotene
- Xanthophyll
They absorb light in the BLUE-VIOLET region of the spectrum
Photosystems
- Antenna complex (cluster of photosynthetic pigments)
- Reaction centre (Two Chlorophyll a molecules and an electron acceptor molecule)
Photosystem I
- 2 chlorophyll a molecules at its reaction centre with an absorption peak of 700nm
- Reaction centre of PS I is called P700
Photosystem II
- 2 chlorophyll a molecules at its reaction centre with an absorption peak of 680nm
- Reaction centre of PS II is called P680
LDS of Photosynthesis
Photophosphorylation: The synthesis of ATP using energy from photons of light
Photolysis: The splitting of water to form (2H+) + (2e-) + 1/2(O2)
The reduction of NADP: NADP is reduced to form reduced NADP
Photophosphorylation
The addition of an inorganic phosphate ion to ADP to form ATP