Photosynthesis for Kids

What is Photosynthesis?
The word photosynthesis can be separated to make two smaller words:
“photo” which means light

“synthesis” which means putting together

Plants need food but they do not have to wait on people or animals to provide for
them. Most plants are able to make their own food whenever they need it. This is done
using light and the process is called photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their own food.  We will add
more details to this definition after making a few things clear as you will see below.
What is needed for Photosynthesis?
To make food, plants need not just one but all of the following:
 carbon dioxide
 water
 sunlight
Let’s take a look at how these are collected by plants.

 Carbon dioxide from the air passes through small

pores (holes) in the leaves. These pores are called stomata.
 Water is absorbed by the roots and passes through vessels in the stem on its
way to the leaves.
 Sunlight is absorbed by a green chemical in the leaves.
What happens during Photosynthesis?
The photosynthesis process takes place in the leaves of plants. The leaves are made up
of very small cells. Inside these cells are tiny structures called chloroplasts. Each
chloroplast contains a green chemical called chlorophyll which gives leaves their
green color.
 Chlorophyll absorbs the sun’s energy.
 It is this energy that is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
 Oxygen is released from the leaves into the atmosphere.
 Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are used to form glucose or food for plants.
Some of the glucose is used to provide energy for the growth and development of
plants while the rest is stored in leaves, roots or fruits for later use by plants.

Here is the process in greater detail:

Photosynthesis occurs in two stages commonly known as Light dependent Reactions
and the Calvin Cycle.

Light dependent Reactions

Light dependent reactions occur in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplasts and
take place only when light is available. During these reactions light energy is
converted to chemical energy.

 Chlorophyll and other pigments absorb energy from sunlight. This energy is
transferred to the photosystems responsible for photosynthesis.
 Water is used to provide electrons and hydrogen ions but also produces oxygen.
Do you remember what happens to the oxygen?
 The electrons and hydrogen ions are used to create ATP and NADPH. ATP is
an energy storage molecule. NADPH is an electron carrier/donor molecule. Both
ATP and NADPH will be used in the next stage of photosynthesis.
Details about the flow of electrons through Photosystem II, b6-f complex,
Photosystem I and NADP reductasehave not been included here but can be found
under The Process of Photosynthesis in Plants.
The Calvin Cycle
The Calvin Cycle reactions occur in the stroma of the chloroplasts. Although these
reactions can take place without light, the process requires ATP and NADPH which
were created using light in the first stage. Carbon dioxide and energy from ATP along
with NADPH are used to form glucose.

More details about the formation of sugars can be found under the Process of

Photosynthesis in Plants.
What have you learned so far?
You already know that plants need carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make their
food. You also know that the food they make is called glucose. In addition to glucose,
plants also produce oxygen. This information can be written in a word equation as
shown below.

The equation below is the same as the one above but it shows the chemical formula
for carbon dioxide, water, glucose and oxygen.

Now back to the definition… Earlier you learned that photosynthesis is the process

by which plants make their own food. Now that we know what plants need to make
food, we can add that information as shown below.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their own food using carbon
dioxide, water and sunlight.
What does Photosynthesis produce?
Photosynthesis is important because it provides two main things:
 food
 oxygen

Some of the glucose tha t plants produce during photosynthesis is

stored in fruits and roots. This is why we are able to eat carrots, potatoes, apples,
water melons and all the others. These foods provide energy for humans and animals.

Oxygen that is produced during photosynthesis is released into the atmosphere. This
oxygen is what we breathe and we cannot live without it.

While it is important that photosynthesis provides food and oxygen, its impact on our
daily lives is far more extensive. Photosynthesis is so essential to life on earth that
most living organisms, including humans, cannot survive without it.

All of our energy for growth, development and physical activity comes from eating
food from plants and animals. Animals obtain energy from eating plants. Plants obtain
energy from glucose made during photosynthesis.

Our major sources of energy such as natural

gas, coal and oil were made millions of years ago from the remains of dead plants and
animals which we already know got their energy from photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is also responsible for balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen during
the process of photosynthesis.
Lesson Objectives
 Name the three stages of cellular respiration.

 Give an overview of glycolysis.

 Explain why glycolysis probably evolved before the other stages of aerobic respiration.

 Describe the mitochondrion and its role in aerobic respiration.

 List the steps of the Krebs cycle, and identify its products.

 Explain how electron transport results in many molecules of ATP.

 State the possible number of ATP molecules that can result from aerobic respiration.

Vocabulary
 aerobic respiration

 anaerobic respiration

 glycolysis

 Krebs cycle

Introduction
You have just read how photosynthesis stores energy in glucose. How do living things
make use of this stored energy? The answer is cellular respiration. This process
releases the energy in glucose to make ATP, the molecule that powers all the work of
cells.

An introduction to cellular respiration can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=2f7YwCtHcgk (14:19).

 
Stages of Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration involves many chemical reactions. As you saw earlier, the reactions
can be summed up in this equation:

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Chemical Energy (in ATP)

The reactions of cellular respiration can be grouped into three stages: glycolysis, the
Krebs cycle (also called the citric acid cycle), and electron transport. Figure below gives
an overview of these three stages, which are also described below.

Cellular respiration takes place in the stages shown here. The process begins with a molecule of glucose, which has six carbon
atoms. What happens to each of these atoms of carbon?

Cellular Respiration Stage I: Glycolysis

The first stage of cellular respiration is glycolysis. It takes place in the cytosol of the
cytoplasm.

Splitting Glucose
The word glycolysis means “glucose splitting,” which is exactly what happens in this
stage. Enzymes split a molecule of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate (also known
as pyruvic acid). This occurs in several steps, as shown in Figure below. You can
watch an animation of the steps of glycolysis at the following
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JGXayUyNVw.

In glycolysis, glucose (C6) is split into two 3-carbon (C3) pyruvate molecules. This releases energy, which is transferred to ATP.
How many ATP molecules are made during this stage of cellular respiration?

Results of Glycolysis
Energy is needed at the start of glycolysis to split the glucose molecule into two
pyruvate molecules. These two molecules go on to stage II of cellular respiration. The
energy to split glucose is provided by two molecules of ATP. As glycolysis proceeds,
energy is released, and the energy is used to make four molecules of ATP. As a result,
there is a net gain of two ATP molecules during glycolysis. During this stage, high-
energy electrons are also transferred to molecules of NAD + to produce two molecules of
NADH, another energy-carrying molecule. NADH is used in stage III of cellular
respiration to make more ATP.

A summary of glycolysis can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=FE2jfTXAJHg.

 
Anaerobic and Aerobic Respiration
Scientists think that glycolysis evolved before the other stages of cellular respiration.
This is because the other stages need oxygen, whereas glycolysis does not, and there
was no oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere when life first evolved about 3.5 to 4 billion years
ago. Cellular respiration that proceeds without oxygen is called anaerobic respiration.

Then, about 2 or 3 billion years ago, oxygen was gradually added to the atmosphere by
early photosynthetic bacteria. After that, living things could use oxygen to break down
glucose and make ATP. Today, most organisms make ATP with oxygen. They follow
glycolysis with the Krebs cycle and electron transport to make more ATP than by
glycolysis alone. Cellular respiration that proceeds in the presence of oxygen is
called aerobic respiration.

Structure of the Mitochondrion: Key to Aerobic Respiration

Before you read about the last two stages of aerobic respiration, you need to know
more about the mitochondrion, where these two stages take place. A diagram of a
mitochondrion is shown in Figure below.

The structure of a mitochondrion is defined by an inner and outer membrane. This structure plays an important role in aerobic
respiration.

As you can see from Figure above, a mitochondrion has an inner and outer membrane.
The space between the inner and outer membrane is called the intermembrane space.
The space enclosed by the inner membrane is called the matrix. The second stage of
cellular respiration, the Krebs cycle, takes place in the matrix. The third stage, electron
transport, takes place on the inner membrane.
Cellular Respiration Stage II: The Krebs Cycle
Recall that glycolysis produces two molecules of pyruvate (pyruvic acid). These
molecules enter the matrix of a mitochondrion, where they start the Krebs cycle. The
reactions that occur next are shown in Figure below. You can watch an animated
version at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-k0biO1DT8.

The Krebs cycle starts with pyruvic acid from glycolysis. Each small circle in the diagram represents one carbon atom. For
example, citric acid is a six carbon molecule, and OAA (oxaloacetate) is a four carbon molecule. Follow what happens to the
carbon atoms as the cycle proceeds. In one turn through the cycle, how many molecules are produced of ATP? How many
molecules of NADH and FADH2 are produced?

Before the Krebs cycle begins, pyruvic acid, which has three carbon atoms, is split apart
and combined with an enzyme known as CoA, which stands for coenzyme A. The
product of this reaction is a two-carbon molecule called acetyl-CoA. The third carbon
from pyruvic acid combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, which is released as a
waste product. High-energy electrons are also released and captured in NADH.
Steps of the Krebs Cycle
The Krebs cycle itself actually begins when acetyl-CoA combines with a four-carbon
molecule called OAA (oxaloacetate) (see Figure above). This produces citric acid,
which has six carbon atoms. This is why the Krebs cycle is also called the citric acid
cycle.

After citric acid forms, it goes through a series of reactions that release energy. The
energy is captured in molecules of NADH, ATP, and FADH 2, another energy-carrying
compound. Carbon dioxide is also released as a waste product of these reactions.

The final step of the Krebs cycle regenerates OAA, the molecule that began the Krebs
cycle. This molecule is needed for the next turn through the cycle. Two turns are
needed because glycolysis produces two pyruvic acid molecules when it splits glucose.
Watch the OSU band present the Krebs cycle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=FgXnH087JIk.

Results of the Krebs Cycle

After the second turn through the Krebs cycle, the original glucose molecule has been
broken down completely. All six of its carbon atoms have combined with oxygen to form
carbon dioxide. The energy from its chemical bonds has been stored in a total of 16
energy-carrier molecules. These molecules are:

 4 ATP (including 2 from glycolysis)

 10 NADH (including 2 from glycolysis)

 2 FADH2
The Krebs cycle is reviewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juM2ROSLWfw.

 
Cellular Respiration Stage III: Electron Transport
Electron transport is the final stage of aerobic respiration. In this stage, energy from
NADH and FADH2, which result from the Krebs cycle, is transferred to ATP. Can you
predict how this happens? (Hint: How does electron transport occur in photosynthesis?)

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1engJR_XWVU for an overview of the electron

transport chain.

Transporting Electrons
High-energy electrons are released from NADH and FADH 2, and they move along
electron transport chains, like those used in photosynthesis. The electron transport
chains are on the inner membrane of the mitochondrion. As the high-energy electrons
are transported along the chains, some of their energy is captured. This energy is used
to pump hydrogen ions (from NADH and FADH 2) across the inner membrane, from the
matrix into the intermembrane space. Electron transport in a mitochondrion is shown
in Figure below.

Electron-transport chains on the inner membrane of the mitochondrion carry out the last stage of cellular respiration.

Making ATP
The pumping of hydrogen ions across the inner membrane creates a greater
concentration of the ions in the intermembrane space than in the matrix. This
chemiosmotic gradient causes the ions to flow back across the membrane into the
matrix, where their concentration is lower. ATP synthase acts as a channel protein,
helping the hydrogen ions cross the membrane. It also acts as an enzyme, forming ATP
from ADP and inorganic phosphate. After passing through the electron-transport chain,
the “spent” electrons combine with oxygen to form water. This is why oxygen is needed;
in the absence of oxygen, this process cannot occur.

A summary of this process can be seen at the following

sites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfgCcFXUZRk (17:16)
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Q17tqw_7A (4:59).

How Much ATP?

You have seen how the three stages of aerobic respiration use the energy in glucose to
make ATP. How much ATP is produced in all three stages? Glycolysis produces 2 ATP
molecules, and the Krebs cycle produces 2 more. Electron transport begins with several
molecules of NADH and FADH2 from the Krebs cycle and transfers their energy into as
many as 34 more ATP molecules. All told, then, up to 38 molecules of ATP can be
produced from just one molecule of glucose in the process of aerobic respiration.

Lesson Summary
 Cellular respiration uses energy in glucose to make ATP. Aerobic (“oxygen-using”)
respiration occurs in three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and electron transport.
  In glycolysis, glucose is split into two molecules of pyruvate. This results in a net gain of
two ATP molecules.

 Life first evolved in the absence of oxygen, and glycolysis does not require oxygen.
Therefore, glycolysis was probably the earliest way of making ATP from glucose.

 The Krebs cycle and electron transport occur in the mitochondria. The Krebs cycle takes
place in the matrix, and electron transport takes place on the inner membrane.

 During the Krebs cycle, pyruvate undergoes a series of reactions to produce two more
molecules of ATP and also several molecules of NADH and FADH2.

 During electron transport, energy from NADH and FADH2 is used to make many more
molecules of ATP.

 In all three stages of aerobic respiration, up to 38 molecules of ATP may be produced

from a single molecule of glucose.

Lesson Review Questions

Recall
1. List the stages of aerobic respiration in the order in which they occur.

2. Describe what happens during glycolysis. How many ATP molecules are gained
during this stage?

3. Define aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

4. What role do mitochondria play in cellular respiration?

5. What are the products of the Krebs cycle?

6. What is the maximum number of ATP molecules that can be produced during the
electron transport stage of aerobic respiration?

Apply Concepts
7. When you exhale onto a cold window pane, water vapor in your breath condenses on
the glass. Where does the water vapor come from?

8. Assume that a new species of organism has been discovered. Scientists have
observed its cells under a microscope and determined that they lack mitochondria.
What type of cellular respiration would you predict that the new species uses? Explain
your prediction.

Think Critically
9. Why do scientists think that glycolysis evolved before the other stages of cellular
respiration?

10. Explain why two turns of the Krebs cycle are needed for each molecule of glucose.

Points to Consider
The last two stages of aerobic respiration require oxygen. However, not all organisms
live in places where there is a plentiful supply of oxygen.

 How do you think organisms get energy from glucose to make ATP if they cannot use
oxygen?

 Do they just use glycolysis, which produces only two ATP molecules? Or do you think
there might be other steps involved?

Lesson Objectives
 Define fermentation.

 Describe lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation.

 Compare the advantages of aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

Vocabulary
 alcoholic fermentation

 fermentation

 lactic acid fermentation

Introduction
Today, most living things use oxygen to make ATP from glucose. However, many living
things can also make ATP without oxygen. This is true of some plants and fungi and
also of many bacteria. These organisms use aerobic respiration when oxygen is
present, but when oxygen is in short supply, they use anaerobic respiration instead.
Certain bacteria can only use anaerobic respiration. In fact, they may not be able to
survive at all in the presence of oxygen.

Fermentation
An important way of making ATP without oxygen is called fermentation. It involves
glycolysis but not the other two stages of aerobic respiration. Many bacteria and yeasts
carry out fermentation. People use these organisms to make yogurt, bread, wine, and
biofuels. Human muscle cells also use fermentation. This occurs when muscle cells
cannot get oxygen fast enough to meet their energy needs through aerobic respiration.

There are two types of fermentation: lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation.
Both types of fermentation are described below. You can also watch animations of both
types at this link: http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users/schul1te/animations/fermentation.swf.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

In lactic acid fermentation, pyruvic acid from glycolysis changes to lactic acid. This is
shown in Figure below. In the process, NAD+ forms from NADH. NAD+, in turn, lets
glycolysis continue. This results in additional molecules of ATP. This type of
fermentation is carried out by the bacteria in yogurt. It is also used by your own muscle
cells when you work them hard and fast.

Lactic acid fermentation produces lactic acid and NAD +. The NAD+ cycles back to allow glycolysis to continue so more ATP is
made. Each circle represents a carbon atom.

Did you ever run a race and notice that your muscles feel tired and sore afterward? This
is because your muscle cells used lactic acid fermentation for energy. This causes lactic
acid to build up in the muscles. It is the buildup of lactic acid that makes the muscles
feel tired and sore.

Alcoholic Fermentation
In alcoholic fermentation, pyruvic acid changes to alcohol and carbon dioxide. This is
shown in Figure below. NAD+ also forms from NADH, allowing glycolysis to continue
making ATP. This type of fermentation is carried out by yeasts and some bacteria. It is
used to make bread, wine, and biofuels.

Alcoholic fermentation produces ethanol and NAD+. The NAD+ allows glycolysis to continue making ATP.

Have your parents ever put corn in the gas tank of their car? They did if they used gas
containing ethanol. Ethanol is produced by alcoholic fermentation of the glucose in corn
or other plants. This type of fermentation also explains why bread dough rises. Yeasts
in bread dough use alcoholic fermentation and produce carbon dioxide gas. The gas
forms bubbles in the dough, which cause the dough to expand. The bubbles also leave
small holes in the bread after it bakes, making the bread light and fluffy. Do you see the
small holes in the slice of bread in Figure below?

The small holes in bread are formed by bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The gas was produced by alcoholic fermentation carried
out by yeast.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Respiration: A Comparison

Aerobic respiration evolved after oxygen was added to Earth’s atmosphere. This type of
respiration is useful today because the atmosphere is now 21% oxygen. However,
some anaerobic organisms that evolved before the atmosphere contained oxygen have
survived to the present. Therefore, anaerobic respiration must also have advantages.

Advantages of Aerobic Respiration

A major advantage of aerobic respiration is the amount of energy it releases. Without
oxygen, organisms can just split glucose into two molecules of pyruvate. This releases
only enough energy to make two ATP molecules. With oxygen, organisms can break
down glucose all the way to carbon dioxide. This releases enough energy to produce up
to 38 ATP molecules. Thus, aerobic respiration releases much more energy than
anaerobic respiration.

The amount of energy produced by aerobic respiration may explain why aerobic
organisms came to dominate life on Earth. It may also explain how organisms were able
to become multicellular and increase in size.

Advantages of Anaerobic Respiration

One advantage of anaerobic respiration is obvious. It lets organisms live in places
where there is little or no oxygen. Such places include deep water, soil, and the
digestive tracts of animals such as humans (see Figure below).

E. coli bacteria are anaerobic bacteria that live in the human digestive tract.

Another advantage of anaerobic respiration is its speed. It produces ATP very quickly.
For example, it lets your muscles get the energy they need for short bursts of intense
activity (see Figure below). Aerobic respiration, on the other hand, produces ATP more
slowly.
The muscles of these hurdlers need to use anaerobic respiration for energy. It gives them the energy they need for the short-term,
intense activity of this sport.

Lesson Summary
 Fermentation is a way of making ATP from glucose without oxygen. There are two types
of fermentation: lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation.

 Lactic acid fermentation changes pyruvic acid to lactic acid and forms NAD+. The
NAD+ allows glycolysis to continue so it can make more ATP.

 Alcohol fermentation changes pyruvic acid to ethanol and carbon dioxide and forms
NAD+. Again, the NAD+ allows glycolysis to keep making ATP.

 Aerobic respiration produces much more ATP than anaerobic respiration. However,
anaerobic respiration occurs more quickly.