Study Guide 4-7

Lecture 4.7 Competencies and Study Guide

Light and Photosynthesis

Vocabulary

  • Photon
  • Frequency (of light)
  • Wavelength (of light)
  • Speed of light
  • Photosystem I
  • Photosystem II
  • P680
  • P700
  • Light dependent reactions
  • Light independent reactions
  • Calvin-Benson (=carbon fixation) cycle

Competencies

  1. Explain how anabolism and catabolism of glucose are coupled to each other.
  2. State the free energy change in the complete oxidation or construction of glucose in kcal/mol.
  3. Describe where the oxygen produced by photosynthesis comes from: CO2 or H2O.
  4. Describe the experiment that demonstrated how oxygen from photosynthesis is produced.
  5. Express the 3 quantities describing light as a wave phenomenon and show how they are related in an equation.
  6. Calculate the free energy in one mole of photons of a given wavelength.
  7. Explain where in a plant cell the chlorophyll is located.
  8. Explain how the antenna system in a chloroplast works.
  9. Explain in general the roles of the light-dependent and light-independent reactions of photosynthesis.
  10. Explain the general roles of the 2 electron transport chains (ETCs) in the chloroplast.
  11. Explain how electrons in both photosystem (PS) I and II are excited to a high energy state.
  12. Explain what happens to the electrons at the end of the ETCs of both PS I and II.
  13. Explain how the electrons oxidized off of PS II to start the light-dependent reactions are replaced.
  14. Explain the light-dependent reactions produce ATP and NADPH.
  15. Describe the carbon fixation (Calvin-Benson) cycle of the light-independent photosynthetic reactions.
  16. Describe the source and role of ATP and NADPH in the light-independent reactions.
  17. Explain the role of rubisco in photosynthesis.
  18. Explain why one can say that photosynthesis’ main product is not sugar, but rather G3P.
  19. Explain why G3P is the most important organic molecule on the Earth.