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    Biology Unit 2 - Lesson 3 - Week 2

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    Daniel Roopchand
    Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and algae that conduct photosynthesis. They have an outer membrane and inner membranes that form stacks called thylakoids, with a fluid-filled space between each membrane. Embedded in the thylakoid membranes are various photosynthetic pigments, most abundantly chlorophyll a and b, which absorb sunlight used to drive the photosynthetic reactions. The membranes and pigments work together to capture light and transform it into chemical energy through a complex process.

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    Biology Unit 2 - Lesson 3 - Week 2

    Uploaded by

    Daniel Roopchand
    68 views3 pages
    Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and algae that conduct photosynthesis. They have an outer membrane and inner membranes that form stacks called thylakoids, with a fluid-filled space between each membrane. Embedded in the thylakoid membranes are various photosynthetic pigments, most abundantly chlorophyll a and b, which absorb sunlight used to drive the photosynthetic reactions. The membranes and pigments work together to capture light and transform it into chemical energy through a complex process.

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    Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and algae that conduct photosynthesis. They have an outer membrane and inner membranes that form stacks called thylakoids, with a fluid-filled space between each membrane. Embedded in the thylakoid membranes are various photosynthetic pigments, most abundantly chlorophyll a and b, which absorb sunlight used to drive the photosynthetic reactions. The membranes and pigments work together to capture light and transform it into chemical energy through a complex process.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    68 views3 pages

    Biology Unit 2 - Lesson 3 - Week 2

    Uploaded by

    Daniel Roopchand
    Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and algae that conduct photosynthesis. They have an outer membrane and inner membranes that form stacks called thylakoids, with a fluid-filled space between each membrane. Embedded in the thylakoid membranes are various photosynthetic pigments, most abundantly chlorophyll a and b, which absorb sunlight used to drive the photosynthetic reactions. The membranes and pigments work together to capture light and transform it into chemical energy through a complex process.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Lesson 3 - Week 2

    Chloroplasts – Structure and function


    Photosynthesis is a complex metabolic pathway – a series of reactions linked to each other in
    numerous steps – many of which are catalysed by enzymes. These reactions take place in 2 stages.
    The first is the light dependent stage that is concerned with the
    water molecule and the release of oxygen. This is followed by the
    light independent stage which includes carbon dioxide. Both of
    these stages take place inside the chloroplasts within leaf cells and
    often the stems of plants. See Electron micrograph to the left.

    Each cell in the photosynthesizing tissue may have 10-100


    chloroplasts inside it. A chloroplast (refer to endosymbiont
    theory) is surrounded by 2 membranes forming an envelope.
    There are more membranes inside the chloroplast which are
    arranged so that there are fluid-filled sacks between them. The
    membranes are called lamellae and the fluid-filled stacks between
    them are called the thylakoids. A stack of thylakoids (like
    pancakes) is called a granum. The background material inside the
    chloroplast is called the stroma (like cytoplasm).

    Embedded tightly in the membrane inside the chloroplast are


    several different types of photosynthetic pigments. These are coloured substances that absorb
    energy from certain wavelengths of light. The most abundant pigment is chlorophyll which comes in
    2 forms – chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. A pigment is a substance whose molecules absorb some
    wavelengths of light but not others. The wavelengths it does not absorb are either reflected or
    transmitted through the substance.

    These unabsorbed wavelengths reach our eyes so we can see these pigments in these colours - the
    majority being chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Both types of chlorophyll absorb similar wavelengths
    of light but chlorophyll a absorbs slightly longer wavelengths than chlorophyll b.

    Other pigments include carotenoids such as carotene and xanthophyll. These absorb a wide range of
    short-wavelength light; including more blue-green light than chlorophylls and are accessory
    pigments. They help by absorbing (shorter) wavelengths of light that could otherwise not be used by
    the plant and they pass on some of this energy to chlorophyll.

    The stacked membranes have a large surface are and so their photosynthetic pigments can capture
    light very efficiently. The transformation of light energy into chemical energy is carried out by other
    chemicals in the membranes closely associated with the photosynthetic pigments. The membranes
    do not only hold chemicals but also create the thylakoid spaces. The space inside each thylakoid
    (lumen) is needed for the accumulation of hydrogen ions (protons) used in ATP production.

    Chloroplasts often contain starch grains because starch is the form in which plants store the
    carbohydrates that they make by photosynthesis. They also contain ribosomes and their own
    circular strand of DNA.
    Pictures To Refer To

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