Steps of Photosynthesis

Visible Light

Visible Light

Light that we are able to see.

Photon

An individual particle in electromagnetic radiation. Photons are absorbed by pigments to create energy.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation is any form of energy that travels in waves. All of the types of electromagnetic radiation together make up the electromagnetic spectrum.

Wavelength

The spatial period of a wave, and the distance between the space of waves.

Pigment

A photosynthetic pigment is a pigment that absorbs specific wavelengths of light for plants.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a pigment that absorbs blue and red wavelengths but reflects green wavelengths causing the plants to appear green. It contains a hydrophobic tail that inserts into the thylakoid membrane and porphyrin ring head.

Carotenoid

Carotenoids are pigments that absorb violet and blue-green light. They also help get rid of excess light energy.

Chloroplast

Chloroplast is the organelle only found in plant cells, which carries out the chemical reaction called photosynthesis.

Stroma

Thick fluid enclosed by two membranes.

Thylakoid

A singular, flat, photosynthetic disk.

Granum

A stack of thylakoids.

Cell Wall

An organelle only found in plant cells; made up of the polysaccharide: cellulose; protects the organelles inside the cell.

Stomata

The pores on the chloroplast membrane that allow materials to move in and out of the chloroplast.

Chemical Equation For Photosynthesis

6H2O + 6CO2 + Light Energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2

ATP vs. ADP

ATP is the energy currency of a cell. ATP has 3 phosphate groups, the energy being stored in between the 2nd and 3rd. ADP has two phosphate groups and contains no energy. ADP can be recycled back into ATP and ATP is used and recycled back into ADP.

NADPH vs. NADP+

NADP+ is a neutral, no charge molecule. When it accepts electrons, it gains a negative charge and becomes NADPH. Similarly to ATP and ADP, the energy is recycled.

Light - Dependent Reaction

The process of turing ADP into ATP and NADP+ into NADPH which will be sent to the Calvin cycle, and the process of releasing oxygen from the cell.

Calvin Cycle

The process of creating glucose by using the energy from the ATP and NADPH.

Photosystem II and I

In photosystem II, electrons from water molecules become excited and after they release energy they go down the electron transport chain into photosystem I. In photosystem I, the electrons are re-excited and then release energy and are accepted by NADP+.

Electron Transport Chain

Electrons that released energy in photosystem II go down the electron transport chain into photosystem I. The electron transport chain creates energy that is used to pump hydrogen ions into the across the membrane.

ATP Synthase

A protein that hydrogen ions pass through which rotates and creates energy used to turn ADP into ATP.

Photophosphorylation

The making of ATP during the light dependent reactions.

Carbon Fixation

The process of the enzyme Rubisco bonding CO2 with the 5 carbon sugar, Ribulose Bisphosphate (RuBP), creating 2 3-carbon molecules.

Rubisco

An enzyme that bonds CO2 with RuBP.

RuBP

A 5-carbon sugar molecule that is bonded with CO2 to create two 3-carbon molecules.

G3P

A reformation of the CO2 and RuBP combination (ATP and NADPH turn the strand of 6 carbons into 2 groups of three; each group of three is called a G3P).

C3 Plants

“Normal” plants that do not about any photosynthetic adaptations.

Photorespiration

When a plant uses oxygen instead of CO2 in the Calvin cycle which does not create energy.

C4 Plants

Plants that perform the light dependent reaction in one cell and the Calvin cycle in another to minimize photorespiration.

CAM Plants

Plants that only open their stomata at night to allow CO2 into the leaves to minimize photorespiration.