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18.7B: Oxygenic Photosynthesis: Light-Dependent Reactions

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    3421
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    Briefly describe the overall function of the light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis and state where in the chloroplast they occur.
  • State the reactants and the products for the light-dependent reactions.
  • Describe an antenna complex and state the function of the reaction center.
  • Briefly describe the overall function of Photosystem II in the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
  • Briefly describe how ATP is generated by chemiosmosis during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
  • Briefly describe the overall function of Photosystem I in the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
  • Compare noncyclic photophosphorylation and cyclic photophosphorylation in terms of Photosystems involved and products produced.
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    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Antenna Complex Each antenna complex is able to trap light and transfer energy to a complex of chlorophyll molecules and proteins called the reaction center. Photons are absorbed by chlorophyll and accessory pigments and that energy is eventually transfered to the reaction center where it is absorbed by an excitable electron moving it to a higher energy level. Here the electron can be accepted by an electron acceptor molecule of an electron transport chain where the light energy is converted to chemical energy by chemiosmosis

    The most common light-dependent reaction in photosynthesis is called noncyclic photophosphorylation. Noncyclic photophosphorylation involves both Photosystem I and Photosystem II and produces ATP and NADPH. During noncyclic photophosphorylation, the generation of ATP is coupled to a one-way flow of electrons from H2O to NADP+. We will now look at Photosystems I and II and their roles in noncyclic photophosphorylation.

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Electron Transport and Chemiosmosis during Photosynthesis 1. As photons are absorbed by pigment molecules in the antenna complexes of Photosystem II, excited electrons from the reaction center are picked up by the primary electron acceptor of the Photosystem II electron transport chain. During this process, Photosystem II splits molecules of H2O into 1/2 O2, 2H+, and 2 electrons. These electrons continuously replace the electrons being lost by the P680 chlorophyll a molecules in the reaction centers of the Photosystem II antenna complexes. 2. During this process, ATP is generated by the Photosystem II electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. According to the chemiosmosis theory, as the electrons are transported down the electron transport chain, some of the energy released is used to pump protons across the thylakoid membrane from the stroma of the chloroplast to the thylakoid interior space producing a proton gradient or proton motive force. As the accumulating protons in the thylakoid interior space pass back across the thylakoid membrane to the stroma through ATP synthetase complexes, this proton motive force is used to generate ATP from ADP and Pi. 3. Meanwhile, photons are also being absorbed by pigment molecules in the antenna complex of Photosystem I and excited electrons from the reaction center are picked up by the primary electron acceptor of the Photosystem I electron transport chain. The electrons being lost by the P700 chlorophyll a molecules in the reaction centers of Photosystem I are replaced by the electrons traveling down the Photosystem II electron transport chain. The electrons transported down the Photosystem I electron transport chain combine with 2H+ from the surrounding medium and NADP+ to produce NADPH + H+.
     
     

    2. Meanwhile, photons are also being absorbed by pigment molecules in the antenna complex of Photosystem I and excited electrons from the reaction center are picked up by the primary electron acceptor of the Photosystem I electron transport chain. The electrons being lost by the P700 chlorophyll a molecules in the reaction centers of Photosystem I are replaced by the electrons traveling down the Photosystem II electron transport chain. The electrons transported down the Photosystem I electron transport chain combine with 2H+ from the surrounding medium and NADP+ to produce NADPH + H+ (Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)).

     

    Cyclic photophosphorylation occurs less commonly in plants than noncyclic photophosphorylation, most likely occurring when there is too little NADP+ available. It is also seen in certain photosynthetic bacteria. Cyclic photophosphorylation involves only Photosystem I and generates ATP but not NADPH. As the electrons from the reaction center of Photosystem I are picked up by the electron transport chain, they are transported back to the reaction center chlorophyll. As the electrons are transported down the electron transport chain, some of the energy released is used to pump protons across the thylakoid membrane from the stroma of the chloroplast to the thylakoid interior space producing a proton gradient or proton motive force. As the accumulating protons in the thylakoid interior space pass back across the thylakoid membrane to the stroma through ATP synthetase complexes, this energy is used to generate ATP from ADP and Pi (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)).

     

    Summary

    1. Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria are known as oxygenic photoautotrophs because they synthesize organic molecules from inorganic materials, convert light energy into chemical energy, use water as an electron source, and generate oxygen as an end product of photosynthesis.
    2. The overall reaction for photosynthesis is as follows: 6 CO2 + 12 H2O in the presence of light and chlorophyll yields C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6 H2O.
    3. Oxygenic photosynthesis is composed of two stages: the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions.
    4. The light-dependent reactions convert light energy into chemical energy, producing ATP and NADPH.
    5. The light-dependent reactions can be summarized as follows: 12 H2O + 12 NADP+ + 18 ADP + 18 Pi + light and chlorophyll yields 6 O2 + 12 NADPH + 18 ATP.
    6. The most common light-dependent reaction in photosynthesis is called noncyclic photophosphorylation.
    7. During noncyclic photophosphorylation light-dependent reactions, photons are absorbed by pigment molecules in the antenna complexes of Photosystem II, and excited electrons from the reaction center are picked up by the primary electron acceptor of the Photosystem II electron transport chain. During this process, Photosystem II splits molecules of H2O into 1/2 O2, 2H+, and 2 electrons.
    8. According to the chemiosmosis theory, as the electrons are transported down the electron transport chain, some of the energy released is used to pump protons across the thylakoid membrane from the stroma of the chloroplast to the thylakoid interior space producing a proton gradient or proton motive force. As the accumulating protons in the thylakoid interior space pass back across the thylakoid membrane to the stroma through ATP synthetase complexes, this proton motive force is used to generate ATP from ADP and Pi.
    9. Meanwhile, photons are also being absorbed by pigment molecules in the antenna complex of Photosystem I and excited electrons from the reaction center are picked up by the primary electron acceptor of the Photosystem I electron transport chain. The electrons being lost by chlorophyll molecules in the reaction centers of Photosystem I are replaced by the electrons traveling down the Photosystem II electron transport chain. The electrons transported down the Photosystem I electron transport chain combine with 2H+ from the surrounding medium and NADP+ to produce NADPH + H+.

    This page titled 18.7B: Oxygenic Photosynthesis: Light-Dependent Reactions is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Gary Kaiser via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.