Discovery of Photosynthesis

•Photosynthesis: Is the process by which sunlight energy is transferred into chemical energy stored in organic compounds.

Organelle Responsible for Photosynthesis•Chloroplast: Organelle where

photosynthesis takes place.

Chloroplast Pigments

•Pigments: Are compounds that absorbs light.

•Located in the thylakoids are pigments called, chlorophylls.

•Most common chlorophylls▫Chlorophyll a ▫Chlorophyll b (accessory pigment)

Chloroplast Pigments

•Chlorophyll a▫Directly involved in light reactions of

photosynthesis•Chlorophyll b

▫Assist chlorophyll a in capturing light energy

•Carotenoids▫Accessory pigment

Chloroplast Pigments

Discovery of Photosynthesis

•Jan Van Helmont- Looked at plant mass. •Where does a plant’s mass come from? •Mass came from water and CO2 in the air.

Discovery of photosynthesis

•Joseph Priestley•Looked at the products that plants give

off and found that plants give off oxygen. •

Photosynthesis Equation

• Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight Food and Oxygen

•6CO2 + 6H2O+ Sunlight C6H12O6 + 6O2

Reactants: Go into the chemical reaction

Products: Substances that are formed from the reaction

Autotrophs vs Heterotrophs

•Autotrophs: Organisms that can make their own food (Plants)

•Heterotrophs: Organisms that need to take energy from the foods they eat. (Animals)

Energy-Storing Compounds

•Two types of Energy Compounds ▫NADP+ NADPH ▫Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

•Energy Levels ▫AMP (Low Charge)▫ADP (Half Charge)▫ATP (Full Charge)

AMP ADP ATP