Study Questions:

1. Make a summary table comparing the photosynthetic characteristics of the three major groups
of plants.

BASIS ANGIOSPERMS GYMNOSPERMS PTERIDOPHYTES

Gymnosperms are
Angiosperms are the
seed-bearing plants Pteridophytes include
Meaning flowering plants of the
and include cycads and fern plants.
world.
conifers.
Sporophyte is the Sporophyte is the Sporophyte is the
Dominant
dominant generation dominant generation dominant generation
generation
of Angiosperms. of Gymnosperms. of Pteridophytes.
Homospores or
Spores Heterospore Heterospores
Heterospore
Present – seed with
Seeds Present – naked seeds Absent
coverings
External Angiosperms do not Gymnosperms do not Pteridophytes require
water for require external water require external water external water for
fertilization for fertilization for fertilization fertilization
Vascular
Present Present Absent
Systems
Flower Present Absent Absent

2. How would you differentiate a chloroplast from a chlorophyll?

 Chlorophyll and chloroplast are both found in plants. Both words start with the prefix “chloro”
– the Greek word for “green.” However, there are slight yet vital differences between the
two.

BASIS CHLOROPHYLL CHLOROPLAST

Chloroplast is an organelles or
The chlorophyll is a pigment which
Meaning membrane present in the plant
gives green colour to the plants.
cell and the site of photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll is the pigment
Chloroplast is the organelle
Role involved in the process of
involved in photosynthesis.
photosynthesis.
Organized into chloroplasts, which
Traps light and passes high energy
Function provide space for both light and
electrons into photosystems.
dark reactions of photosynthesis.
Several types of chlorophylls exist. Two types of chloroplast are
Types Major types are chlorophyll A and found in algae and plants
B. respectively.
Chlorophyll are the part Chloroplast are the part of plant
Part of
chloroplast. cell.
Green pigments and carotenoids
Chloroplast do not have such
Pigments which has red and yellow
pigments.
pigments.
 Chlorophyll are present inside the Assembly of chloroplast are
Presence chloroplast, in the thylakoid higher, throughout the plant cell
membranes. especially in leaves.
Chlorophylls are pigments. Chloroplasts consist of their own
DNA
Thereby, they lack DNA. organelle DNA called cpDNA.
All plants, algae and
Location All plants and algae.
cyanobacteria.

3. What other pigments aside from chlorophyll a participate in photosynthesis? What are their
functions?
 Chlorophyll a: This is the most abundant pigment in plants. Chlorophyll a absorbs light with
wavelengths of 430nm (blue) and 662nm (red). It reflects green light strongly so it appears
green to us. It contains a hydrophobic (fat soluble) phytol chain that allow it to be embedded
in a lipid membrane. The rest of the structure called a tetrapyrrolic ring rests outside of the
membrane. It is this part of the pigment that absorbs the energy from light. The metal at the
center of the structure, Mg, can have variable oxidation states. This means that it can accept
and donate e- readily depending of the situation. It’s flexible, which is very important to the
function of the molecule.
 Chlorophyll b: This molecule has a structure similar to that of chlorophyll a. It absorbs light of
453nm and 642 nm maximally. It is not as abundant as chlorophyll a, and probably evolved
later. It helps increase the range of light a plant can use for energy.
 Carotenoids: This is a class of accessory pigments that occur in all photosynthetic organisms.
They are completely hydrophobic (fat soluble) and exist in lipid membranes. Carotenoids
absorb light maximally between 460 nm and 550 nm and appear red, orange, or yellow to us.
 Xanthophylls are a fourth common class of pigments. They are essentially oxidized
Carotenoids and contain oxygen. They are usually red and yellow and do not absorb energy
as well as cartenoids. They are also fat soluble.

4. Why do you think photosynthesis is considered a universally most important process?

 Photosynthesis is plants taking in water, carbon dioxide, and light to make sugar and oxygen.
This is important because all living things need oxygen to survive. All producers make oxygen
and sugar for the secondary consumers and then the carnivores eat animals that eat the
plants. If there is not enough producers to make the sugar and oxygen that all living things
need then all living things will die out. Without producers CO2 couldn't be taken in by the
plants to be turned back into oxygen that all animals need for survival. Also, without
producers, herbivores wouldn't have anything to eat and they would all die leaving carnivores
without food to eat and all life forms wouldn't be on Earth. Photosynthesis happens in the
Chloroplast of the plant's organelle, if the Chloroplast wasn't in the plant Photosynthesis
couldn't happen. If there was no sunlight for the plant to absorb then Photosynthesis couldn't
happen. If living things didn't breathe out CO2 then the plants would die and living things
would have no way of getting oxygen. These are the reasons why Photosynthesis is important
to plants and all living things on the planet.