Name: chloroplasts and photosynthesis in plant cells
Uploaded: 2019-03-11T09:21:12.000Z
Duration: 1 min 7 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Louisiana Student Standards for Science

High School

Environmental Science

Earth’s Systems

HS-ESS2-6

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

In plants, photosynthesis takes place within the leaf&#39;s dense mesophyll cell layers where the highest number of chloroplasts is contained.

Scattered throughout these specialized double membrane organelles are another set of compartments. Fluid filled membranous sacs called thylakoids, which are interconnected and form into multiple stacks called grana.

On the outer edges of each granum, embedded within the thylakoid membranes, are multiprotein complexes such as the photosystems. These structures contain the antenna proteins bound with numerous pigment molecules, like chlorophylls, to absorb light and begin the first stage of light dependent reactions.

Meanwhile the second stage, the Calvin cycle, takes place in the stroma, the aqueous cavity outside of the thylakoid&#39;s lipid bi-layer.&nbsp;With both processes working together, plants produce their own food thanks to the biochemical factories found in the chloroplast.

anatomy of chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor chloroplasts&mdash;the vital organelles where photosynthesis takes place. In plants, the highest density of chloroplasts is found in the mesophyll cells of leaves.

A double membrane surrounds chloroplasts. The outer membrane faces the cytoplasm of the plant cell on one side and the intermembrane space of the chloroplast on the other. The inner membrane separates the narrow intermembrane space from the aqueous interior of the chloroplast, called the stroma.

Within the stroma, another set of membranes form disk-shaped compartments&mdash;known as thylakoids. The interior of a thylakoid is called the thylakoid lumen. In most plant species, the thylakoids are interconnected and form stacks called grana.

Embedded in the thylakoid membranes are multi-protein light-harvesting (or antenna) complexes. These complexes consist of proteins and pigments, such as chlorophyll, that capture light energy to perform the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. These processes release oxygen and produce chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

The second part of photosynthesis&mdash;the Calvin cycle&mdash;is light-independent and takes place in the stroma of the chloroplast. The Calvin cycle captures CO2 and uses the ATP and NADPH to ultimately produce sugar.

Chloroplasts coordinate the two stages of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis releases oxygen and sugars&mdash;the basis of plant biomass which directly or indirectly feeds most life on Earth.

Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor chloroplasts&mdash;the vital organelles where photosynthesis takes place. In ...

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Biology

Cellular Processes

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KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

chloroplasts and photosynthesis in plant cells

Chloroplasts are the organelles where photosynthesis takes place in green algae and plants. They are also found in green stems and unripe fruit. In plants, mesophyll cells in the leaf contain the highest density of chloroplasts.

Each chloroplast has a double membrane. The outer membrane faces the plant cell cytoplasm on one side and the chloroplast intermembrane space on the other. The inner membrane separates that narrow space from the stroma, which is the watery interior of the chloroplast. Inside the stroma, another membrane system forms disk-shaped thylakoids.

The inside of each thylakoid is called the thylakoid lumen. In many plant species, thylakoids connect with one another and stack into grana. Their membranes contain light-harvesting complexes, also called antenna complexes. These complexes include proteins and pigments such as chlorophyll, which capture light energy for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

The light-dependent reactions release oxygen and make ATP and NADPH, which are forms of chemical energy. The second stage of photosynthesis, the Calvin cycle, does not require light directly and happens in the stroma. It captures CO2 and uses ATP and NADPH to make sugar. Chloroplasts link these two stages, and the oxygen and sugars they produce help build plant biomass and support most life on Earth.

Chloroplasts and Photosynthesis in Plant Cells

chloroplasts-and-photosynthesis-in-plant-cells

what is photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis in Chloroplasts and Leaves

Photosynthesis happens in plants and in some bacteria. It is the process that captures carbon dioxide and solar energy to make glucose. Glucose stores chemical energy as carbohydrates. The overall biochemical equation is 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6 O2. Photosynthesis also releases oxygen into the atmosphere and helps maintain Earth’s atmospheric oxygen content. Photosynthetic reactions take place in chloroplasts, which are specialized membrane-enclosed parts of the plant cell.

light as energy

How Plant Pigments Capture Light

Photosynthesis uses light energy from the sun, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation. The full range of possible wavelengths is called the electromagnetic spectrum. Light is made of photons, which are small packets of energy. Photons act like waves and are described by frequency, wavelength, and amplitude. Waves with higher frequencies carry more energy and have shorter wavelengths. Waves with lower frequencies carry less energy and have longer wavelengths. For most organisms,...

the anatomy of chloroplasts

Chloroplasts are the organelles where photosynthesis takes place in green algae and plants. They are also found in green stems and unripe fruit. In plants, mesophyll cells in the leaf contain the highest density of chloroplasts. Each chloroplast has a double membrane. The outer membrane faces the plant cell cytoplasm on one side and the chloroplast intermembrane space on the other. The inner membrane separates that narrow space from the stroma, which is the watery interior of the chloroplast.

photosystem ii

Photosystem II and Water Splitting

Photosystem II is a multi-protein complex that captures light energy and begins the flow of electrons in photosynthesis. It uses bound pigments to harvest photons and send that energy to its reaction center. From there, the energy continues through the electron transport chain and on to photosystem I. The pigments in photosystem II include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids. They are arranged in two parts of the photosystem: the antenna complex and the reaction center. The antenna...

photosystem i

Photosystem I and NADPH Formation

Photosystem I helps convert light energy into NADPH during photosynthesis. It works with photosystem II in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, but it uses a different electron supplier and a different electron acceptor. Electrons excited in photosystem II move to photosystem I through an electron transport chain. That chain includes plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As the electrons travel between the two photosystems, they lose energy and must be...

the calvin cycle

Carbon Fixation in Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis uses light energy to turn carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. It also releases oxygen as a by-product. These products help support most food webs and make aerobic life possible. Photosynthesis has two main stages, and they happen in different parts of the chloroplast. The light-dependent reactions take place in the thylakoid membranes. Chlorophyll absorbs light energy there and helps split water molecules. This releases O2 and makes ATP and NADPH. The light-independent reactions...

c4 pathway and cam

Plant Carbon Fixation in Hot Climates

Plant carbon fixation in hot climates can follow the C4 pathway or the CAM pathway. These alternative pathways help some plants reduce energy loss from photorespiration. Photorespiration happens when oxygen levels are high and rubisco, the enzyme in the Calvin cycle, binds O2 instead of CO2. When that happens, photosynthesis slows and energy is used up. The C4 pathway is used by plants such as corn and sugarcane. In mesophyll cells, CO2 first joins with PEP, or phosphoenolpyruvate, through the...

key terms and concepts

Explore how chloroplasts capture light, make ATP and NADPH, and power the Calvin cycle to produce sugars and oxygen in plant cells.

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Chloroplasts and Photosynthesis in Plant Cells

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