1 Photosynthesis

Lesson

Van Helmont's experiment

1. He took a willow sapling weighing 2.2 kg and planted it in 90 kg of dry soil.

2. He watered it for 5 years without adding any other substances.
3. He found after 5 years that the tree’s mass became 75 kg while the soil
lost only 55 g.
Conclusion :
✓ The growth of the tree does not depend primarily on the absorption of
nutrients from the soil.
✓ The slight decrease in the soil mass is attributed to that the plant absorbs
small amounts of the soil elements.
✓ Water is the key element for tree growth.
Later, researches showed that:

➢ Plants make their food using carbon dioxide and

sunlight through photosynthesis.
➢ Photosynthesis occurs in green plastids (chloroplasts)
found in the cells of green parts of plants.
➢ The main sites are leaves and herbaceous stems,
Ex:Mallow (Molokhia) plant. DR MARIAN HALIM 1
 Green Plastids (chloroplasts)

Green plastids (chloroplasts)

They are cell organelles that resemble lentil grain and are found in the green
parts of the plants, as well as in green algae.

Grana

• It consists of 15 or more structural units called thylakoid

membranes (thylakoids).
• The edge in some thylakoids extends to connect with another
thylakoid in an adjacent granum through a thin membrane, which
increases the surface area of the thylakoid membrane that is
exposed to light.
• The light dependent reactions take place in the grana
• The thylakoid membranes contain several types of pigments,
including green chlorophyll.

A double membrane Stroma (fluid - Filled space)

allows substances to •
)sspace)
It’s the internal space of the
• movesubstances
Allows in and out of
to the plastid and contains most of
move in andplastid.
out of the the enzymes needed
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plastid. light independent reactions.
(do not require light)
 Types of plastids

Flower petals – plums

Absorption of light by Chlorophyll

1. Crush spinach leaves with ethanol → green solution forms.

2. Filter the solution → clear green chlorophyll extract.
3. Pass white light through red, blue, and green transparent sheets.
• Observations:
• Red light → absorbed.
• Blue light → absorbed.
• Green light → transmitted (why plants look green)

Conclusion
• The energies from both the red and the blue lights are used in the light
DR MARIAN
dependent reactions that occur in the grana, to convert light energy HALIM
into 3

chemical energy stored in glucose.

 integration with Physics

Light is a form of energy, when

white light falls on one of
the faces of a glass prism, it
splits into the seven colours of
the visible spectrum, which are
ordered according to their
energy.

Light transmits through different materials by different degree,

A. Shiny B. Transparent object C. Opaque medium
object (glass) (a red apple)
(mirror)
It is reflected It passes through it Only red light is reflected,
completely. while the other colours
are absorbed

Explain why:

1. The leaves of plants appear green in color.

o Because they contain chlorophyll pigment, which absorbs all
colors of white light and reflects only green light.
2. White light is considered a compound light.
o Because it consists of a spectrum of colors known as the
colors of the visible spectrum.

DR MARIAN HALIM 4
 The mechanism of photosynthesis

1- Light dependent reactions occur on the thylakoid membranes

1
2- Light independent reactions occur on the Stroma

1 Light dependent reactions

Chlorophyll absorbs the energies of the blue and the red

lights from the visible light, becoming active (excited)
chlorophyll.

• A part of the energy of the active chlorophyll is used to decompose

water into oxygen and hydrogen.

• Oxygen is released into the atmospheric air

• hydrogen is transferred to the light independent reactions.

• The remaining part of the energy of the active chlorophyll is used to

convert ADP to (ATP) by adding a phosphate group (P) to it.

• ATP molecule is used in the light independent reactions.

DR MARIAN HALIM 5
 ADP molecule ATP molecule
Name Adenosine diphosphate Adenosine triphosphate
Both contain ribose sugar and adenine (adenosine),
Similarity as well as phosphate groups.
It contains two phosphate It contains three
groups. phosphate groups.
Differences When it gains a When it loses a
phosphate group, phosphate group,
it converts into an ATP it converts into an ADP
molecule molecule

2 Light independent reactions

A group of chemical reactions that occur in the stroma (the internal

space of the chloroplast) and do not depend on the presence of light.

The light independent reactions occur, as follows:

① Hydrogen, carried on one of the chemical compounds which are found
on the thylakoid membranes, is transferred to the stroma (the fluid-filled
space).
② Hydrogen combines with carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the
atmospheric air in the presence of:
• ATP molecules produced from the light dependent reactions.

• The enzymes present in the stroma.

To produce glucose sugar C₆H₁₂O₆

ATP
Hydrogen + carbon dioxide Glucose
Enzymes sugar

Integration with Chemistry

Enzymes are protein molecules that act as catalysts which increase the
rate of light independent reactions without requiring the high
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temperatures.
 Light
independent
reactions

Feature Light Dependent Reactions Light Independent Reactions

Location In the grana on the thylakoid In the stroma (fluid-filled

membranes (contain chlorophyll space of the chloroplast,
pigment). contains enzymes).
Dependence Depend directly on light. Do not depend on light.
on light
They need - Sunlight - Chlorophyll pigment - - Hydrogen gas (from light
Soil water - ADP molecules reactions) - ATP molecules -
CO₂ gas from air
They - Oxygen (by-product) - Glucose (main product)
produce
- Hydrogen - ADP molecules
- ATP molecules

DR MARIAN HALIM 7
 Photosynthesis Equation
Plants in photosynthesis rearrange the atoms obtained from simple molecules
in the presence of sunlight. These simple molecules are:

• Water absorbed from the soil.

• Carbon dioxide gas absorbed from the atmosphere.

They produce their food (glucose) and release oxygen gas as a by-product.

Equation:

6 molecules of 6 molecules of 1 molecule of 6 molecules of

carbon dioxide water (absorbed glucose (plant oxygen (by-
from the soil) food) product)
m
Photosynthesis can be
o expressed through modelling by
o using
6 ball and stick
models, where: l m
e o
c l
o Colored balls
u represent atoms of elements. e
o Sticks represent
l chemical bonds. c
e u
o
Modelling: f
l
e
A method by which gwe present a simplified view of verys small things that we
l
cannot see, or very large
u
things that we do not perceive. It
o helps in
understanding concepts
c and recognizing relationships. fo
o
s x
e y
( g
p e
l n
a (
Glucose Storage
n b
• Many glucose molecules are linked in long ychains to form starch
t
f -
granuleso (a polysaccharide). p
• These starch granules are stored in leaves, roots,
o r and stems that
d
have high
) storage efficiency.
o
d
• Ex : Taro corms – potato stem – sweet potato u root
o 6 c
m t
o DR MARIAN HALIM 8
)
l
e
c
u
 G.R
Glucose stored as starch in plants

• Bec. Glucose dissolves in cold water, so to prevent loss from the plant sap, it is converted
into starch granules (which are sparingly soluble).

Why is oxygen gas found in large amounts during daylight in gardens?

• Because oxygen is released as a by-product of light dependent reactions during

photosynthesis.

There is a relationship between ADP and ATP in photosynthesis?

• In light dependent reactions: ADP + phosphate → ATP.

• In light independent reactions: ATP loses phosphate → ADP

Formation of starch in photosynthesis

Steps:
1. Boil the leaf in hot water → breaks down cell walls.
2. Place the leaf in ethanol in a hot water bath → removes
chlorophyll (decolorizes leaf).
3. Wash the leaf in water → makes it soft again.
4. Add iodine solution to the leaf → test for starch.
Observations:
• The green areas of the leaf (with chlorophyll) turn blue-black,
showing the presence of starch.
• The non-green areas (without chlorophyll) show no colour change,
meaning no starch is present. DR MARIAN HALIM 9
 What happens?

What happens if…?

We repeat the same experiment but cover part of the leaf with an opaque
strip that blocks light before starting the experiment.

• The areas of the leaf that are not exposed to light will not form
starch,
and therefore will not turn dark blue when tested with iodine
solution.
• This confirms that light is essential for the process of
photosynthesis and the formation of starch.

1. Chlorophyll in starch formation:

o Proven by the colour change to dark blue in the
green parts of the leaf only when treated with
iodine solution.
2. Light in starch formation:
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o Proven by the lack of colour change in the
areas covered with the opaque strip.
 Factors affecting the rate photosynthesis

❶Temperature

• Increasing temperature above 0 °C → increases

photosynthesis rate up to a limit (20 °C).
• Beyond this limit, the rate decreases until it
stops.
• Optimal rate occurs at point (X).

❷Carbon dioxide concentration

• Increasing CO₂ concentration in the air → increases

photosynthesis rate gradually.
• It stabilizes at a certain limit (0.1% CO₂).
• Optimal rate occurs at point (Y).

❸Light intensity

• Increasing light intensity → increases the

photosynthesis rate.
• It stabilizes once a certain limit is reached.
• Optimal rate occurs at point (Z).

In addition to: water, mineral and winds

🌱 Vertical Farming

An innovative technology in cities that mimics natural farming

conditions to enable photosynthesis.

• Structure: Conducted inside multi-storey buildings

(skyscrapers).
• Techniques: Uses artificial lighting and hydroponics
(water-based nutrients). DR MARIAN HALIM 11
• Purpose: Produces vegetables and fruits.
• Benefit: Provides a sustainable solution to the shortage
of arable land.