Use Sophia to knock out your gen-ed requirements quickly and affordably. Learn more
×

Photosynthesis

Author: Jessica Libby

Products and Structures

The light reaction produces NADPH, Oxygen and ATP through photophosphorylation. 

The Calvin cycle uses the NADPH and ATP produced in the light reaction to mix with carbon dioxide and produce glucose. 

Photosystems are made of a light-harvesting complex and a reaction center. The light-harvesting complex is made of pigments which are used to gather the light in the form of photons. When a chlorophyll molecule captures a photon, one of its electrons becomes excited by moving to a higher energy level. The energy then moves to the reaction center. This is made of two chlorophyll a molecules which give an electron to the primary electron acceptor.

PSI is also P700, PSII is also P680.  700 and 680 stand for the wavelengths of light they absorb best. 

 

Source: Holtzclaw, Fred, and Theresa Holtzclaw. AP Test Prep Series. San Francisco: Pearson Education Inc., 2013. Print.

Photosynthesis Crash Course

Calvin Cycle

The enzyme rubisco causes 3 RuBP (5 carbon sugar) attaches to 3 CO2 molecules. This splits into two 3 carbon molecules (3-phosphoglycerate) which is phosphorylated int 1, 3-bisphosphoglycerates. This is reduced by 6 NADPH into 6 G3P. Two G3P form glucose, one leaves the cell and RuBP is reformed by using 3ATP.

Source: Holtzclaw, Fred, and Theresa Holtzclaw. AP Test Prep Series. San Francisco: Pearson Education Inc., 2013. Print.