LIFE 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Starch, Light-Dependent Reactions, Photosynthetic Reaction Centre
Document Summary
Converts light energy to the chemical energy of food. Plants, algae, and some prokaryotes can perform photosynthesis. Green color is green pigment within chloroplasts. Co2 enters and o2 exits the leaf through microscopic pores called stomata. Light behaves as though it"s made of discrete particles called photons. Photons of light energy interact with chlorophyll molecules and other pigments. Interactions between leaves and light in chloroplasts. Absorbs blue and red light (not green and yellow) When a photon hits any molecule, it can push an electron into a higher energy level excited state (unstable) electrons fall back, emitting heat/radiation. Electron doesn"t fall back, but is captured by another molecule (redox) 2 types: ps i and ps ii. Reaction center: central chl molecule that receives all captured light energy. Primary electron acceptor: molecule that accepts excited e- Consist of a reaction-center complex surrounded by light-harvesting complexes.
