PLANT PARTS AND

ORGANELLES INVOLVED
IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Claire E. Ogue, LPT
Teacher I
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
▪ is the process where plants make their food
by converting sunlight or light energy into
chemical energy. The energy produced is
then stored in the plant and will be used up
in some metabolic processes.
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
▪ primarily takes place in the leaves and little
or none in the stems depending on the
presence of chlorophyll.
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A LEAF
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A LEAF
 PLANT LEAF PARTS
▪ Cuticle – a waxy layer that covers the leaf which prevents
loss of water.
▪ Upper epidermis – composed of a single layer of bricked
shaped cells. The cells are tightly packed to prevent further
loss of water.
▪ Palisade Layer- contains elongated cells rich in
chloroplasts. This means that photosynthesis happens
mainly in this region of the leaf.
 PLANT LEAF PARTS
▪ Spongy Layer- contains loosely arranged layers of cells. Vascular
bundles are found in this area. Cells in this region also contains
chloroplasts but not as abundant as the palisade layer.
▪ Lower epidermis- usually composed of a single layer of cells.
This layer contains lots of stomata.
▪ Stoma/stomata- is a small slit-like pore that facilitates the
exchange of gases and giving-off of water vapor.
▪ Guard cells- regulate the opening and closing of the stomata.
These cells also contain the chloroplasts.
 CHLOROPLAST
▪ play a key role in the process of photosynthesis.
It is a type of plastid (a saclike organelle with a
double membrane) that contains chlorophyll to
absorb light energy.
 CHLOROPHYLL
▪ is the most important material in the leaf.
Practically the whole function of the other parts
is to expose the chlorophyll to light and to
provide it with materials on which to work
CHLOROPLAST
 CHLOROPLAST PARTS
▪ Outer Membrane – is a lipid bilayer envelope
that separates the chloroplast from the
cytoplasm.
▪ Intermembrane space- the space between the
outer membrane and inner membrane.
▪ Inner membrane – separates the stroma from
the inner membrane space.
 CHLOROPLAST PARTS
▪ Stroma – is a dense fluid region inside the
chloroplast that envelopes the thylakoid sacs.
Calvin cycle/dark reaction also happens in this
area.
▪ Thylakoid – is an interconnected stack of sacs
called “grana”. This is where the light reaction
of photosynthesis occurs.
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Were it not for photosynthesis, the life of
our earth would probably be limited. There
would be no forests, grasslands, and even no
animal or human population.
CHEMICAL FORMULA OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 TWO MAJOR STAGES OF
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
▪ LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
▪ LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTION
 LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
▪ It occurs in daylight.
▪ The light-dependent reactions take place in the
thylakoid membranes in the granum (stack of
thylakoids), within the chloroplast.
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
 LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
1. Energy from sunlight is absorbed by
chlorophyll
2. Water, one of the raw materials of
photosynthesis, is utilized during this stage and
facilitates the formation of free electrons and
oxygen.
 LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
3. converted into stored chemical energy, in the
form of the electron carrier molecule NADPH
(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate)
and the energy currency molecule ATP
(adenosine triphosphate)
 LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTION
The end point of this reaction is the
formation of ATP and NADH. The chemical
energy contained in these two molecules is used
in the next step of photosynthesis to construct
carbohydrates.
LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTION
Also known as the DARK REACTION or
the CALVIN CYCLE. The energized electrons
from the light-dependent reactions provide the
energy to form carbohydrates from carbon
dioxide molecules.
LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTION
Although the light-independent reactions do
not use light as a , they require the products of
the light-dependent reactions to function. The
light-independent molecules depend on the
energy carrier molecules, ATP and NADPH, to
drive the construction of new carbohydrate
molecules.
CALVIN CYCLE
Photosynthesis can be simply described
into 4 simple steps:
 4 Main Steps of
Photosynthesis:
1.The plant takes in carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere through the stomata on its leaves. It
is worth noting that there are some stomata on
the stems as well.
 4 Main Steps of
Photosynthesis:
2. Water gets into the plant mainly through the
roots and finds its way to the leaves, where
photosynthesis occurs. Plant roots are specially
designed to draw water from the ground and
transport it to the plant leaves through the stem.
 4 Main Steps of
Photosynthesis:
3. Chlorophyll, the green coloring matter of the
leaf, traps the energy from sunlight as it shines
on the leaf. It is worth noting that it is
chlorophyll that gives the leaf its green color.
 4 Main Steps of
Photosynthesis:
4. The solar energy is used to break water down into
hydrogen and oxygen. Then hydrogen is combined with
carbon dioxide to make sugar, which is food for the plant.
Oxygen is released as a byproduct through the stomata.
Chemical reactions occur with the help of protons from the
water molecules and electrons from the chlorophyll
molecules to produce Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP
provides energy for cellular reactions and nicotinamide
Adenine Dinucleotide Diphosphate (NADP), which is
integral in plant metabolism.
 Factors that Affects
Photosynthesis:
1. LIGHT or INTENSITY OF LIGHT
- Increased light intensity results in a higher
rate of photosynthesis. On the other hand, low light
intensity results in a lower rate of photosynthesis.
 Factors that Affects
Photosynthesis:
2. CARBON DIOXIDE or CONCENTRATION
OF CARBON DIOXIDE
- Higher concentration of carbon dioxide helps
in increasing the rate of photosynthesis. Usually,
carbon dioxide in the range of 300 – 400 PPM is
adequate for photosynthesis.
 Factors that Affects
Photosynthesis:
3. WATER
- As water is an important factor in
photosynthesis, its deficiency can lead to problems
in the intake of carbon dioxide. The scarcity of
water leads to the refusal of stomata opening to
retain the amount of water they have stored inside
 Factors that Affects
Photosynthesis:
4. POLLUTION
- Industrial pollutants and other particulates
may settle on the leaf surface. This can block the
pores of stomata which makes it difficult to take in
carbon dioxide.
 Photosynthesis is important
because …
Photosynthesis plays a crucial role in the removal
of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the
production of the oxygen we breathe.
Photosynthetic products provide energy to all
organisms to carry out their life activities (all life
is bottled sunshine).
 Photosynthesis is important
because …
Coal, petroleum and natural gas are fossil fuels
which have been produced by the application of
heat and compression on the past plant and animal
parts (all formed by photosynthesis) in the deeper
layers of the earth. These are extremely important
source of energy.
 Photosynthesis is important
because …
All useful plant products are derived from the
process of photosynthesis, e.g., timber, rubber,
resins, drugs, oils, fibers, etc.
Productivity of agricultural crops depends upon
the rate of photosynthesis.
ACTIVITY
TIME!!!
 Activity #2 & #3
▪ For Activity #2, draw/paint the Leaf Structure.
▪ Make sure to label each part correctly.
▪ Make your drawing attractive by putting colors in it.

▪ For Activity #3, draw/paint Chloroplast.