Ch7. Photosynthesis 7.10 – 7.12 How the ETC helps create ATP & NADPH Calvin cycle: Converting CO2 to Sugar • Where does the Calvin cycle happen? • The stroma • What is needed to start the Calvin cycle? • ATP = usable energy • NADPH = High energy electrons • CO2 = used to make sugar • Where did this chemical energy come from? • The Light Reaction Four steps, Step 1 • What happens in step 1, carbon fixation? • The enzyme rubisco combines 3 molecules CO2’s with 3 molecules RuBP (ribulose bisphosphate) Making 6 molecules of 3 PGA a 3carbon organic-acid,(3phosphoglyceric acid) Step 2 • What are the two chemical reactions in Step 2? • 1. Energy consumption of 6 ATP’s • 2. Oxidation of 6 NADPH • What does this step yield? • 6 molecules of 3PGA are reduced producing 6 G3P’s. G3P’s have the high energy electrons from NADPH. Step 3 • How many CO2’s or carbon molecules does the Calvin cycle use at once? • It uses only one carbon at a time • Where does the other 5 G3P’s go? • They are recycled in the cycle. • How many cycles does it take to produce glucose? • Since the cycle uses only one carbon at a time, TWO full turns are needed to make 2 G3P’s molecules (3 carbons each) that make up 1 Glucose molecule (6 carbons each) Step 4 • What happens to start the cycle over? • ATP supplies the energy to make 3 RuBP’s from 5 G3P’s which start the cycle over again. Summary of Photosynthesis • Where does Light reaction take place? • Occurs in the thylakoid, 2 photosystems capture solar energy & use it to energize electrons. • What is Oxidized? • Water is Oxidized to O2 • How is chemical energy made? • PS1 & PS2 transfer electrons to ETC. ATP & NADPH contain energy from the excited electrons. Summary of Photosynthesis • What happens to all the food made by plants? • They stock up extra sugar as starch, storing it in chloroplasts, roots, tubers and fruits. They can also use it to make proteins, fats & nucleic acids. • How is even a carne asada burrito or hamburger the product of photosynthesis? • The cow ate grass which contained the carbs, proteins, fats and nucleic acids ALL built as a result of photosynthesis. 3 Adaptations to fix carbon & save water • What is photorespiration? (Left picture) (C3 plants like rice, wheat, soybeans & oats) • C3 (3 carbon) plants close stomata due to hot temps. to reduce water loss preventing CO2 from entering or O2 to leave. Rubisco binds O2 and can’t do Calvin cycle. Problem is it produces no ATP or Glucose • What do C4 plants do differently? (corn & sugarcane) • Store CO2 in 4 carbon sugar so that there is always enough. • How have CAM plants adapted? (cactus, pineapple, & succulents) • Close stoma at day when hot, but store CO2 like C4 plants so they can prevent photorespiration.