CHAPTER 9

STUDY GUIDE

Lesson Review
9.1Energy and Life Photosynthesis: An Overview
All living things need energy to stay alive Nearly every living thing on Earth depends
and carry out their life processes. Cells can on photosynthesis. Photosynthetic
store energy organisms capture energy from sunlight
in the bonds of chemical compounds. One with pigments.
of the most important of these compounds
is ATP (adenosine triphosphate). A cell can Plant cells use compounds called electron
store a small amount of energy by adding carriers to accept and transfer pairs of high-
a phosphate group to ADP to make ATP. energy electrons from the chlorophyll to
When a cell needs energy, it can release it other molecules.
by breaking the chemical bond between One of these carrier compounds is NADP+ (nicotin-
the second and third phosphate groups of amide adenine dinucleotide phosphate).
ATP.
Photosynthesis uses light energy to convert
Most life on Earth depends on the ability of water and carbon dioxide into high-energy
autotrophs (plants and algae) to capture the sugars and oxygen. Photosynthesis involves
energy from sunlight and convert it into the two sets of reactions: light-dependent and
chemical energy stored in carbohydrates. light-independent. The light-dependent
This process is known as photosynthesis. reactions take place in the thylakoid
membranes. The light-independent
• ATP reactions take place in the stroma.
• photosynthesis
• pigment
• chlorophyll
P
• thylakoid
P • stroma
P Energy
9.2 • NADP+
• light-dependent reactions
• light-independent reactions

H2 CO
 Use An Analogy Describe how ADP and
ATP act like a rechargeable battery to store
O NADP
2
and release H

energy. ATP

ADP

NAD
P+

O Suga
2 rs

 Interpret Diagrams Label each side of the dia-

gram. Then, write a caption to describe each
process.

Study Guide
9.3The Process of
Photosynthesis
The light-dependent reactions of
photosynthesis use light energy to
produce oxygen and convert ADP and
NADP+ into ATP and NADPH.

The light-independent reactions of

photosynthesis are also known as the Calvin
cycle. The Calvin cycle uses the ATP and
NADPH synthesized during the light-
dependent reactions and carbon dioxide to
make high-energy sugars.
 Apply Concepts Explain why temperature, light
intensity, and water availability affect the rate of
photosynthesis.
Although many factors affect the rate of
photosynthesis, the most important are
temperature, light intensity, and the
availability of water.

• photosystem
• electron transport chain
• ATP synthase
• Calvin cycle

Organize Information
Complete the table to summarize the processes described in this chapter.

Process Occurs in Inputs Outputs

Photosynthesis Chloroplast CO2, H2O, sunlight O2, high-energy
sugars
Light-Dependent Thylakoids NADP+, ADP, H2O NADPH, ATP, O2
Reaction Membranes
Photosystem II Light, 2 H2O O2, 4 H+, 2 NADP+, 4
high-energy electrons
Electron Transport High-Energy low-energy
Chain Electrons electrons, energy
to pump H+ ions
from the stroma
inside the
thylakoid sac
Photosystem I Light, 2 H+, 2 2 NADPH
NADP+, 4 electrons
ATP synthase ADP, Phosphate ATP
Group, Energy
Calvin Cycle/ Stroma NADPH, ATP, CO2 6-carbon sugar, ADP,
Light-Independent NADP+
Reaction

Study Guide
9.1 Energy and Life QUIZ STUDY GUIDE
1. ATP is like a charged battery. It discharges, or releases energy, when one of its phosphate groups
splits away from the molecule. The molecule can recharge with an input of energy, which allows a
phosphate group to reattach.

2. The prefix "photo-" means light, and the root "synthesis" means making. Photosynthesis is the
process of using light to assemble carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms into glucose and other
carbohydrates. The energy of light is transformed into chemical energy, which is stored in the
chemical bonds of the carbohydrate molecules.

3. ATP acts like a rechargeable battery. It releases energy when its third phosphate group breaks away
from the molecule. The molecule recharges when the third phosphate group reattaches.

4. ATP differs from ADP only because of the presence of the third phosphate group. ATP releases
energy when the third phosphate group breaks away to form ADP. To become ATP again, ADP must
gain energy to allow the third phosphate group to reattach.

5. Light provides the energy that allows photosynthesis to occur. The energy is transformed into high-
energy electrons that are captured in the products of photosynthesis. Note that the main product of
photosynthesis is carbohydrates, not proteins.

6. Organisms are classified as autotrophs or heterotrophs according to their food supply. Autotrophs
make their own food, while heterotrophs take in food made by other organisms. Note that all
organisms are either autotrophs or heterotrophs, and not both.

7. Energy is always required to move or pump substances against a concentration gradient, or from
regions of low concentration to high concentration. In living systems, the source of energy is
generally ATP. The pumping of sodium and potassium ions is one example of this type of
movement.
9.2 Photosynthesis: An Overview QUIZ STUDY GUIDE
1. Chlorophyll is a pigment that provides leaves with their green color because it reflects green light. It
absorbs other wavelengths of light, and the energy is transferred to electrons. The high-energy
electrons are then passed from one electron carrier to the next in a complex series of chemical
reactions. NADP+ is one of the electron carriers.

2. The two inputs of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water. The two outputs are high-energy
sugars, which are the main products of photosynthesis, and oxygen gas, which is released as a
byproduct.

3. Chlorophyll is a plant pigment that is embedded in the thylakoid membrane. It receives the energy of
light and transfers that energy to electrons.

4. Water is an essential reactant of photosynthesis. During the light-dependent reactions, a water

molecule splits apart to release oxygen gas, hydrogen ions, and electrons. The energy for the
splitting of water is provided by light that is absorbed by chlorophyll.

5. During the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide molecules and hydrogen
atoms are joined together to make 3-carbon sugars, which then join together to form glucose and
other carbohydrates.

6. The reactants of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water, and the products are sugars and
oxygen. Photosynthesis also involves many intermediates, enzymes, and electron carriers, including
ATP and NADPH. None of these compounds are inputs or outputs of the process, and instead are
recycled over and over again as photosynthesis continues.

7. Photosynthesis depends on both the light-dependent reactions and light-independent reactions; both
sets are essential for photosynthesis to occur. The light-dependent reactions provide chemical
energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions use this energy to
assemble carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms into sugar molecules.

8. The assembly of one glucose molecule takes up 12 hydrogen ions from the chloroplast. Therefore,
another process must add 12 hydrogen ions. Of the two reactants of photosynthesis, only water
(H2O) contains hydrogen. Each water molecule has 2 hydrogen atoms, so 6 water molecules provide
the 12 hydrogen ions that the glucose molecule requires.

Study Guide
9.3 The Process of Photosynthesis QUIZ STUDY GUIDE
1. Chlorophyll is the plant pigment that absorbs light and transfers the energy of light to electrons. The
electrons are released when water molecules split apart, and then they transfer from one electron
carrier to the next in the electron transport chain.

2. The light-independent reactions are also known as the Calvin cycle. In this process, molecules of
carbon dioxide enter a cycle of chemical reactions, and 3-carbon sugars exit the cycle. The energy
for the Calvin cycle comes from NADPH and ATP, both of which are produced in the light-dependent
reactions.

3. ATP is like a rechargeable battery. ADP is the uncharged form. With an energy input, a molecule of
ADP gains a phosphate group to become ATP. The source of this energy is the concentration
gradient of hydrogen ions across the thylakoid membrane. Hydrogen ions diffuse across the
membrane through a channel in the enzyme ATP synthase, and their movement provides the energy
for the reaction to occur.

4. The graph shows two lines that increase at first, and then level off. The lines show that for each type
of plant, the rate of photosynthesis increases up to a certain maximum. Increasing the light intensity
above 1000 units will not increase the rate of photosynthesis above the maximum. This result means
that factors apart from light intensity act to limit the rate of photosynthesis in plants.

5. If a chemical process produces electrons, another process must occur at the same time to receive
the electrons. Otherwise, an electric charge would build up indefinitely. In the case of photosynthesis,
the electrons are transferred from one electron carrier to the next. Eventually they are received by
NADP+, which becomes NADPH. Then NADPH changes back to NADP+ in the light-independent
reactions.

6. Carbon dioxide is a low-energy molecule, and sugars are high-energy molecules, so a source of
energy is needed for the reactions of the light independent reactions. This energy comes from the
ATP and NADPH produced by the light-dependent reactions. Providing this energy is the main
purpose of the light dependent reactions, which are essential for photosynthesis to occur.

7. Photosynthesis involves two gases: oxygen and carbon dioxide. Oxygen is released as a waste
product during the light-dependent reactions, and carbon dioxide is taken up and used to make
sugars during the light-independent reactions. Without a steady supply of carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere, photosynthesis would slow to a halt.

8. Photosynthesis meets the needs of animals in two important ways: providing food in the form of plant
tissues, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. Animals need oxygen to break apart the food
they eat and release its energy, which involves the process of cellular respiration. Note that
photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

9. Plants depend on a wide variety of chemical compounds, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and
complex carbohydrates. These compounds are synthesized in a variety of pathways, all of which
depend on the simple sugars that are produced from photosynthesis. These sugars are products of
the light-independent reactions.