Photosynthesis

Question 1

which lights do chlorophyll a and b absorb?

Answer 1

red and blue

Question 2

what light does chlorophyll a and b reflect?

Answer 2

green

Question 3

which lights do carotenoids absorb?

Answer 3

blue and green

Question 4

which lights do carotenoids reflect?

Answer 4

red, orange and yellow

Question 5

what role does chlorophyll a perform? what makes it different than chlorophyll b (structurally)?

Answer 5

primary electron donor, has a CH3 attached on head

Question 6

what role does chlorophyll b perform? what makes it different than chlorophyll a (structurally)?

Answer 6

accessory pigment, has a CHO attached on head

Question 7

what do the heads and tails of chlorophyll do?

Answer 7

head: absorbs light
tail: attaches chlorophyll to thylakoid membrane

Question 8

what are the roles of carotenoids and xanthophylls?

Answer 8

• accessory pigments that pass energy to chlorophyll a
• extends range of wavelengths used to access energy
• protects chlorophyll
• absorbs excess light
• provides additional colour for pollination/reproduction

Question 9

what colours do carotenoids reflect?

Answer 9

red, orange, yellow

Question 10

what happens to chlorophyll in the fall?

Answer 10

• chlorophyll production stops
• gets broken down into components and stored in roots/stems
• leaves turn different colours because chlorophyll cannot reflect green

Question 11

what are the components of a photosystem?

Answer 11

antenna pigments that gather photon energy and sends it to the reaction centre (resonance energy transfer)

Question 12

what is the difference in photosynthesis with sulfur bacteria?

Answer 12

H2S instead of H2O
S instead of O2 produced