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PPT PRESENTATIONS OF :
Dr. Maria Estela B. Detalla
Department of Agronomy
Central Mindanao University
PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Dr. Maria Estela B. Detalla

Department of Agronomy
Central Mindanao University
 WHAT IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS?

The process in which carbon dioxide and water, in the presence

of light and chlorophyll, are converted to carbon-containing
energy-rich organic compounds

light
6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2
chlorophyll

• Fixes as much as 1 trillion (1011) tons of carbon

annually from CO2

• Produces about 140 billion tons of carbohydrates

per year

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 The most important process on earth … It is the connecting
link between solar energy and life

RESULTS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

1. Conversion of light energy to chemical energy for all

plant metabolic processes
2. Conversion of inorganic compounds into essential
foodstuffs and other useful products
3. Release of oxygen into the atmosphere which is used
for respiration by plants and animals

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 THE STRUCTURES INVOLVED…

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 THE LIGHT REQUIREMENT...

Only the visible (white) light of the

electromagnetic spectrum
drives the photosynthetic process

From violet (400nm) to red (700nm)

Light striking a surface can be

reflected, transmitted or absorbed

Photosynthesis utilizes 1-10% solar

radiation absorbed by crop surfaces
during daytime

Light absorption is made possible

through pigment molecules

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 THE PIGMENTS INVOLVED...

Chlorophyll absorbs light at wavelengths approximately

400nm-500nm (violet-blue) and 600-700nm (orange-red)

There are three(3) pigment molecules involved in light

harvesting : chlorophyll a
chlorophyll b
carotenoids

Chlorophyll a - the primary photosynthetic pigment

- can participate directly in the light reactions
which convert light energy to chemical
energy
- absorbs light maximally at 430-662nm
- blue-green pigment

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 Chlorophyll b - absorbs light at 453-642nm
- an accessory pigment almost identical to
chlorophyll a
- absorbs light and transfers the energy to
chlorophyll a
- yellow-green pigment

Carotenoids - an accessory pigment that can absorb

wavelengths of light that chlorophyll cannot
(extends the range of light available for Ps)
and transmits the energy to chlorophyll a
- absorbs at wavelength 460-550nm
- accepts excess energy from chlorophyll to
protect it from damage (PHOTOPROTECTION)
- various shades of yellow and orange pigments
- most common carotenoid is β-carotene, which
becomes 2 molecules of Vitamin A when split

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 TWO PHASES
LIGHT REACTION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
in the thylakoid
DARK REACTION
in the stroma

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 The LIGHT REACTION

- Also called the HILL REACTION

- Initiated by light (LIGHT-DEPENDENT PHASE)

- Conversion of light energy to chemical energy

(PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION)

- Involves the following : photolysis of water

energy production

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 IMPORTANT PROCESSES IN THE LIGHT REACTION
PHOTOLYSIS OF WATER
The light energy trapped is used to split/cleave water to
form H+ ions, electrons and oxygen
 Oxygen is released as gaseous molecular oxygen
 Hydrogen is trapped by an acceptor NADP+ and
reduced to NADPH
 The electrons are utilized in subsequent reactions

ENERGY PRODUCTION
The conversion of light energy to chemical energy through
the transformation of ADP to ATP and the formation of
NADPH as energy carrier

PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION is the trapping of light energy

by the conversion of ADP to ATP

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 LIGHT REACTION

- It begins with the absorption of light energy (PHOTONS)

by the chlorophyll, which then excites (raises the energy
level) of one of its electrons
The electrons in the excited state leave the chlorophyll
molecule and is passed along through electron carriers
(CYTOCHROMES)

- Involves photolysis of
water and energy
production through
CYCLIC or
NON-CYCLIC
PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 The Z-scheme of photosynthesis (Light Reaction)

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 ENERGY PRODUCTION through...

NON-CYCLIC PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION

• Two photosystems are involved : PS I and Ps II

• The energy does not go back to chlorophyll, but is
absorbed by NADP to form NADPH
• Formation of NADPH

CYCLIC PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION

• Only one photosystem is involved : Ps I only

• The electron returns back to its non-excited state due
to its transport from one carrier to another
• Formation of ATP

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 Non-cyclic
photophosphorylation

Cyclic
photophosphorylation

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 The DARK REACTION

- Also called the BLACKMAN’S REACTION

- BIOCHEMICAL REACTION of photosynthesis

(Temperature-dependent Phase)

- Not directly dependent on light . Energy is provided by

the ATPs & NADPHs formed in the light reaction
(LIGHT-INDEPENDENT PHASE)

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 DARK REACTION

Plants can be classified into C3, C4, and CAM plants

based on the pathway of CO2 fixation and the first
identifiable product formed after fixation

C3 Plants Follow the C3 pathway or the Calvin Cycle

C4 Plants Follow the C4 or the Hatch & Slack Pathway

CAM Plants (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism)

very similar to the C4 Pathway

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 C3 PATHWAY

• CO2 fixation is catalyzed by the enzyme, RIBULOSE

BIPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE (RUBP carboxylase)
RUBP carboxylase is also called RUBISCO
(Ribulose biphosphate carboxylase oxygenase)

• RUBP (5-carbon) combines with CO2 to form 2 molecules

of 3-phosphoglyceric acid (3-PGA), a 3-carbon compound
• 3-PGA will be then converted to hexose phosphate, which
will then be converted to sucrose or starch
• occurs in the mesophyll cell chloroplast

REMEMBER : the first compound formed after CO2 fixation

in C3 plants is a 3-carbon molecule, 3-PGA

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 The Calvin cycle of photosynthesis

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 C4 PATHWAY

CO2 condenses with PHOSPHOENOL PYRUVATE (PEP)

using the enzyme, PEP CARBOXYLASE, to form a 4-carbon
molecule, OXALOACETATE
this occurs in the mesophyll cell chloroplast

• Oxaloacetate, in the presence of NADPH, is converted

to MALATE (4-carbon), then to 3-PGA through the
mediation of RUBP… then the pathway follows the C3 cycle
malate is transported to the bundle sheath cell chloroplast

REMEMBER : the first compound formed after CO2 fixation

in C4 plants is a 4-carbon molecule,
oxaloacetate

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 The C4 Pathway of carbon fixation

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)

• they open their stomates at night to absorb CO2, and

close them during the day to reduce transpiration

• they fix CO2 into 4-carbon acids, oxaloacetate, using

PEP CARBOXYLASE, at night when stomates are open

• the 4-carbon acid (malate) formed is temporarily stored

in the vacuole at night. During the day, malate returns to
the chloroplast where it is decarboxylated and the CO2
moves into the C3 cycle while PEP is released

Remember : CO2 fixation occurs at night because the

stomates are close during the day
the first compound formed is oxaloacetate
(4-carbon compound)

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 CO2 fixation pathway in CAM plants

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture
 The light and dark reactions of photosynthesis

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 Simplified summary of photosynthesis

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 PHOTORESPIRATION

• only in C3 plants ; very minimal or zero in C4 plants

• occurs in the chloroplast… not in the mitochondria

• utilizes the enzyme RUBISCO

(ribulose biphosphate carboxylase oxygenase)
• fixes oxygen instead of CO2 … when O2 concentration in
the plant is higher

• Since RUBISCO is both a carboxylase and an oxygenase,

the O2 and CO2 compete for the same enzyme and for
the same substrate, RuBP

• results in CO2 loss in photosynthetic tissues… and is

the major source of CO2 evolution in the light by C3 plants

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 Photorespiration
RUBISCO
RuBP + O2 phosphoglycolate + 3-phosphoglycerate
(5C) (2C) (3C)

• Phosphoglycolate will release CO2 in the mitochondria and peroxisomes

• 3PGA will re-enter the C3 cycle
• no ATP is produced during photorespiration

CO2 Fixation (C3 species)

RUBISCO
RuBP + CO2 3-phosphoglycerate Carbohydrates
(5C) (1C) (2 moles @ 3C each)

CO2 Fixation (C4 species)

PEP Carbohydrates
PEP + CO2 oxaloacetate
(3C) (1C) Carboxylase(4 C)

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture
 EFFICIENT(C4) vs INEFFICIENT(C3) PLANTS

1. Anatomical differences

a. C4 species have chloroplasts in

the vascular bundle sheath cells;
C3 plants do not have

b. Starch is accumulated in the

mesophyll cells of C3 ; C4 plants C3 leaf
do not, only 4-carbon acids are
formed in C4 mesophyll cells

c. C4 anatomy is called KRANZ

ANATOMY (bundle sheath cells
are surrounded by mesophyll
cells
C4 leaf

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 2. PEP carboxylase (in C4 plants) has greater affinity to CO2
compared to RuBP carboxylase (in C3 plants) …
- C4 plants can operate well even at low CO2 levels

3. C4 plants have higher photosynthetic rates than C3

plants, especially at higher light intensities

4. RuBP carboxylase is present in much lower levels in C4

plants; PEP carboxylase is absent in C3 species

5. C3 are more adapted to moist and cool or hot areas with

low light intensity; C4 in dry or moist conditions and hot
temperatures with high light intensity

6. C3 plants : rice, legumes, tobacco, cotton, potato, etc

C4 plants : corn, sugarcane, majority of weeds

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 REFERENCES:

Berg, LR. 1997. Introductory Biology. Saunders College Publishing.

Campbell, NA. 1996. Biology, 4th ed. The Benjamin/Cummings

Publishing Co.

Stern, KR. 2006. Introductory Biology. McGraw-Hill Co.

Uno, G., R. Storey & R. Moore. 2001. Principles of Botany.

McGraw-Hill Co.
______. 2010. Photosynthesis. in www.en.wikipedia.org

Farabee, M.J. 2010. ‘Photosynthesis’ in Biology Book Online.

www. emc.maricopa.edu

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture

 THANK YOU...

MEABDetalla’s Photosynthesis Lecture