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Confirmation Number:
Instructor: David van Dijk
Lesson 23 (Photosynthesis) Reading Assignment
Chapter 9
1. Write both of the overall equations for photosynthesis found on page 162.
Carbon dioxide+ Water+Light > Glucose+Oxygen
6CO2+6H2O+686 kilocalories/mole > C6H12O6+6O2
2. Do short or long wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation have the most
energy? Does one go faster than the other?
Shorter wavelengths have higher amounts of energy. However, they both go at
essentially the same speed, the speed of light.
3. When you get excited, is it due to raising electrons to a higher energy level?
No, atoms and molecules get excited when their electrons are raised to a higher
energy level.
4. If you were to shine green light on plants, they would look green but possibly
die, and if you shined blue light on plants, they could look black but still be alive.
Is this true?
Yes. This is true because most plants reflect mostly green light, meaning no energy is
absorbed. However, blue light is very readily absorbed, and though the plant would not
reflect it back, it would stay alive because the energy is absorbed and used in
photosynthesis.
5. When you look at the absorption spectra of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and
carotenoids, you might think plants should be yellow and orange, not green. Then
why are most plants green?
Chlorophyll a generally masks the colors of the other pigments, and it reflects mostly
green light, so most plants appear green.
6. Is it true that photosynthesis converts the kinetic energy of light to the
chemical potential energy of glucose?
No, because light is massless and cannot have a kinetic energy. However, the light
boosts electrons to higher energy levels or drives it from the molecule/atom, allowing
chemical reactions to take place, which is directed into glucose.
7. Draw the chloroplast with its stroma, thylakoid, grana, and two membranes.
(SEE FILE IN FOLDER TITLED Q7 Chloroplast)

8. What are stacks of thylakoids?

They are called grana and the thylakoids contain chlorophyll and other pigments as
well as molecules needed in photosynthesis.
9. What is the space in the thylakoid called? Is the thylakoid space important?
It is called the thylakoid space. It is important in that it helps absorb light. Also, water
is split into hydrogen and oxygen there, releasing electrons. The inner fluid in the chloroplast
is stroma. The thylakoids make up a third lipid bilayer. The chloroplast itself is a double lipid
bilayer.
10. Is it true that photosynthesis is divided into the light-dependent reaction
(light reaction) and the light-independent reaction (dark reaction)?
Yes. Light-dependent reactions allow the plant to absorb the energy of light. Lightindependent reactions turn the reactants into sugar.
11. In the light reaction, phosphate is added to what to make ATP, and two
electrons and one proton are added to what coenzyme to make NADPH?
Phosphate is added to an ADP to make ATP, and two electrons and one proton is
added to

NADP+ to create NADPH. NADP+ resembles NAD+. Water molecules also are

split and supply electrons.

12. Could I go around saying that, when CO2 gas is used to make sugar, it is
fixed?
Yes, this is called carbon fixation.
13. Does the light reaction occur in the thylakoid or the stroma?
The light reaction occurs in the walls of the thylakoid.
14. Does the light reaction or the dark reaction split water to release oxygen gas
(O2) and put a hydrogen proton (H+) and two electrons on NADP+?
The light reaction splits it. This is because photosystem IIs chlorophyll a molecule is
looking for electrons to accept, and it finds it in water. The 2 electrons and proton are put on
NADP+ when the electrons pass through both photosystem II and I.
15. What molecule accepts the hydrogen proton (H +) and the two electrons from
the split water in photosynthesis?
The NADP+ molecule accepts it.
16. Study figure 98 until you understand it.
Okay
17. Photophosphorylation adds phosphate to ADP to make ATP.
Photophosphorylation adds phosphate to ADP to make ATP in a similar process to
oxidative phosphorylation.
18. Where are the protons (H+) pumped from and to in the light reaction of
photosynthesis?

The electrons are pumped from the stroma into the thylakoid space, giving the
thylakoid space a higher concentration of H+ ions and establishing a electrochemical
gradient.
19. What enzyme hooks (covalently binds) phosphate to ADP in the light reaction?
ATP Synthase is the enzyme always used to bind phosphate to ADP.
20. Does the light-independent reaction (dark reaction) use the NADPH and ATP
produced in the light reaction to reduce (fix) CO2 into sugar?
Yes.
21. Where in the chloroplast does the Calvin cycle occur?
The Calvin cycle occurs in the stroma.
22. Study figure 912 until you understand it.
Okay.
23. How many glyceraldehyde phosphates does it take to make glucose?
Two molecules of glyceraldehyde phosphates make one glucose because each has 3
carbons.
24. How many ATP does it take to make glucose?
18 ATP must go in to make glucose.
25. Why do people call the Calvin cycle the three carbon (C3) pathway?
The Calvin cycle beings when CO2 bonds to RuBP, which is very unstable and
immediately splits into phosphoglyceric acid, PGA, catalyzed by the enzyme RuBP
carboxylase or rubisco. This first reaction creates PGA which has 3 carbons each, so it is
called the three-carbon pathway.
26. What does the four carbon (C4) pathway do differently from the C3 pathway?
The four-carbon pathway has carbon dioxide combine with phosphoenolpruvic acid
(PEP) to make oxaloacetic acid by PEP carboxylase. This is then converted to either malic
acid or aspartic acid, and the CO2 is released again. PEP carboxylase has a much higher
affinity for carbon dioxide, allowing carbon fixation much faster and taking CO2 out of the
atmosphere faster. Overall, this allows the plant to maintain a bigger carbon dioxide gradient
and take in more CO2.
27. Name some crassulacean acid (CAM) plants.
Agave and pineapple are two such plants.
28. Where have the hydrogen atoms come from in sugar (C6H12O6)?
The hydrogen atoms have come from the light-dependent reactions.