Photosynthesis occurs in organelles
called chloroplast, this is its structure:
Most are disc shaped and between 2-10 um long
Has a double membrane, also called an
envelope, the intermembrane space is
10-20 nm wide
Outer membrane is permeable to many
small ions while the inner one is less
permeable
Inner one has transport proteins embedded in it
and is folded into lamellae which are stacked up to
make a granum. Many granums are a grana
Between granas are intergranal
lamellae. Granas can be seen with
light microscopes
Grana consist of stacks of flattened
membrane compartments called thylakoids.
These absorb light and synthesise ATP during
the light depended stage. Can be seen via
electron microscope
Stroma is a fluid filled matrix. Reactions of
the l.d.s. occur here because the needed
enzymes are there. It also contains starch
grains, oil droplets, as well as DNA and
prokaryote type ribosomes
Adaption:
Inner membrane has transport proteins the controls entry
and exit of substances between stroma and cytoplasm of cell
The many grana gives a large S.A for photosynthetic pigments,
electron carriers and ATP synthase enzymes all of which are in the
LDS
Photosynthetic pigments are molecules that absorb light
energy. Each pigment absorbs a range of wavelengths in the
visible region while other wavelengths are reflected. They're in
thylakoid membranes arranged in funnel shaped structures
called photosystems and held in place by proteins. Normally
the primary pigment is chlorophyll a while the accessory
pigments consist of molecules of chlorophyll b and carotenoids
Chlorophylls: mixture of pigments of similar
molecular structure. They have a long phytol
chain (hydrocarbon) and a porphyrin group like
the one found in haemoglobin except here it
has mg instead of fe
Light hits chlorophyll and causes a pair of electrons from Mg
to become excited. There are 2 types of chlorophyll a, P680 or
P700, both are yellow - green and absorb red light at slight
different wavelengths (absorption peaks).
Both are at the centre of the photosystems as they're
primary pigment reaction centre. P680 has an absorption
peak of 680nm and is found in photosystem II while P700 has
an absorption peak of 700nm and is found in photosystem I
Chlorophyll a absorbs blue light of a wavelength of 450nm and
chlorophyll b absorbs 500nm-640nm so blue to green
Accessory pigments:
Carotenoids reflect yellow and orange light but absorb blue . Also doesnt
have a porphyrin group so is not directly involved in LDS
They absorb light wavelengths that chlorophylls cant and pass on the energy
from that light to the chlorophyll a at the base of the photosystem
Carotene orange and xanthophyll yellow are the main carotenoid pigments
Proteins in grana hold photosystems in place
Stroma has enzymes needed to catalyse reactions of LDS in photosynthesis
Grana surrounded by stroma so products from LDS can pass to stroma for LIS
DNA in chloroplast can be used by the ribosomes there to make some of the
proteins needed for photosynthesis