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Questions and Answers
What is the main function of chlorophyll in plants?
What type of chlorophyll absorbs light with a wavelength of 450 nanometers?
In which part of the chloroplast do the light-dependent reactions occur?
What is the result of the electron transport chain in the light-dependent reactions?
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What is the byproduct of the proton gradient in the light-dependent reactions?
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Study Notes
Photosynthesis
Chlorophyll
- A green pigment found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria
- Responsible for absorbing light energy from the sun
- Contains a magnesium ion at its center, which helps to absorb light
- Has a specific absorption spectrum, absorbing blue and red light, but reflecting green light (which is why it appears green)
- Two types of chlorophyll:
- Chlorophyll a: absorbs light with a wavelength of 430 nanometers (blue light) and 660 nanometers (red light)
- Chlorophyll b: absorbs light with a wavelength of 450 nanometers (blue light) and 640 nanometers (red light)
Light-dependent Reactions
- Occur in the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast
- Convert light energy into ATP and NADPH
- Two stages:
- Light absorption: Light energy is absorbed by pigments such as chlorophyll and other accessory pigments
- Electron transport: Energy from light is used to pump protons across the thylakoid membrane, creating a proton gradient
- ** ATP synthesis**: Proton gradient is used to drive the production of ATP from ADP and Pi
- Reduction of NADP+: Electrons from the electron transport chain are used to reduce NADP+ to NADPH
Chlorophyll
- Found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, responsible for absorbing light energy from the sun
- Contains a magnesium ion at its center, which helps to absorb light
- Has a specific absorption spectrum, absorbing blue and red light, but reflecting green light, which is why it appears green
- Two types of chlorophyll:
- Chlorophyll a: absorbs light with a wavelength of 430 nm (blue light) and 660 nm (red light)
- Chlorophyll b: absorbs light with a wavelength of 450 nm (blue light) and 640 nm (red light)
Light-dependent Reactions
- Occur in the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast
- Convert light energy into ATP and NADPH through a two-stage process
- Stage 1: Light absorption: Light energy is absorbed by pigments such as chlorophyll and other accessory pigments
- Stage 2: Electron transport: Energy from light is used to pump protons across the thylakoid membrane, creating a proton gradient
- ATP is produced from ADP and Pi through ATP synthesis, driven by the proton gradient
- NADP+ is reduced to NADPH using electrons from the electron transport chain
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Description
Learn about chlorophyll, a green pigment essential for photosynthesis, its structure, and how it absorbs light energy from the sun. Understand the two types of chlorophyll and their light absorption properties.
