1. Photosynthesis

2. What is Photosynthesis?
The process where plants use energy from the sun to rearrange water molecules and carbon dioxide molecules to form sugars (mainly glucose) and oxygen molecules
Plants DO NOT change sunlight into energy!!

3. The Chemistry of Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O > C6H12O6 + 6O2
CO2 is carbon dioxide
H2O is water C6H12O6 is glucose O2 is oxygen
Chlorophyll
Sunlight

4. The Chemistry of Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O > C6H12O6 + 6O2
CO2 is carbon dioxide
H2O is water C6H12O6 is glucose O2 is oxygen
Chlorophyll
Sunlight

5. The Role of Sunlight in Photosynthesis
Sunlight is made of different energies (colors) of light
Remember ROYGBIV from elementary school?
Chlorophyll absorbs the red, blue and violet parts of sunlight and uses them to make energy

6. The Role of Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a chemical pigment (color) that absorbs certain wavelengths of sunlight (especially red, blue and indigo)
The energy that is absorbed is given to the electrons of the chlorophyll molecule
These high energy electrons supply the starting energy for photosynthesis

7. Inside the Chloroplast
Sac-like photosynthetic membranes called thylakoids
Sacs are stacked into structures called grana
Space between grana called stroma
Proteins in thylakoids arrange chlorophyll and other pigments into groups called photosystems

8. Inside the Chloroplast

9. Overview of Photosynthesis

10. Photosynthesis Has Two Steps
Light dependent reaction that requires sunlight
Light independent reaction that does not require sunlight; can occur during daytime as well as at night

11. Light Dependent Reaction
Produces oxygen gas (waste product)
Produces ATP (stores energy)
Produces NADP+ (carries electrons)

12. Dark Reaction
Uses ATP and NADPH to produce high energy sugars

13. What are the reactants in photosynthesis? What are the products?
What wavelengths of light are absorbed by chlorophyll?
Why do green plants look green?
What part of the chlorophyll molecule actually absorbs the energy from the sun?
Define the following terms: thylakoid, grana, stroma, photosystem
What are the products of the light reaction phase of photosynthesis?
What are the products of the dark reaction phase of photosynthesis?