Bio Energetics

Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics
 Energy relationships and energy conversions in biological systems is called bioenergetics.
 Live on earth is powered directly or indirectly by solar energy.
 Chloroplasts in plants capture light covert into chemical energy and store in sugar form.
 With emergence of photosynthesis, O2 gets accumulate and cellular respiration was made
possible.
 Respiration releases a lot of energy, this is used to form ATP, which is kind of link between
catabolism and anabolism.
Photosynthesis
 Photosynthesis is the conversion of energy poor inorganic oxidized into energy rich organic
compounds using sunlight by chlorophyll.
Reduction
Light
 6CO2 + 12H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Chlorophyll
Oxidation
Photosynthesis
 From above, carbon dioxide, water and light are reactants while glucose, oxygen and water
are products.
 Water appears on both sides so we can simplify equation:
 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2
Relationship between photosynthesis and respiration
 Chemical equation of photosynthesis is exactly similar to respiration.
 Photosynthesis uses the products of respiration.
 Photosynthesis occurs in daytime and respiration occur day and night.
Light Variations and Compensation Point

 At dawn and dusk, the intensity of light is low comparatively to mid-day so a point occurs
when rate of respiration and photosynthesis become equal.
 At compensation point, there is no net exchange in oxygen and carbon dioxide.
 As the light intensity increases, the demand for carbon dioxide for plant increases so it takes
it from atmosphere and releases oxygen. At this there is net release of oxygen into the
atmosphere.
1
Role of Light
Role of light and types of spectra
 Sun light is an electromagnetic or radiant form of energy. The full form of electromagnetic
radiation in the universe is called electromagnetic spectrum.
 Photosynthetic pigments: absorb visible part of light(380-750nm)
 Light behaves as waves as well as particles called photons.
 Effectiveness of light depends on the absorption of particular wavelength by the plant. As
different wavelengths are absorbed differently so they have different effectiveness.
 Only 1% light falling on leaf is absorbed, other light is reflected or transmitted.
Spectrum of Light for Plants

There are two types of spectra:
1. Absorption Spectra
2. Action Spectra
Absorption Spectra
 Graph showing relative absorption of different wavelength of light by different pigments is
called absorption spectra.
 Absorption spectra for different pigments is different showing that different pigments
absorb different number of different wavelengths.
 Chlorophyll a absorbs 400-470nm (violet-blue)
 Chlorophyll b absorbs 630-670nm (orange-red)
 On the other hand, carotenoids show more absorption at 430-500nm.
Action Spectrum
 Graph showing relative effectiveness of different wavelength in driving photosynthesis is
called action spectrum of photosynthesis.
 First obtained by German biologist T.W. Engelmann in 1883. He worked on spirogyra.
 When equal light of different wavelengths is given, there is more photosynthesis in red light
than in blue light.
Feature Absorption spectrum Action spectrum

Peaks Narrower Broader
Valley Broader and deep Narrower and not deep
Role of Photosynthetic Pigments

 Pigments: any substance that absorb light
 Light that is absorbed is disappeared
 All the pigments that absorb light are embedded in thylakoid membranes.
 Higher plants have two major pigments: chlorophyll and carotenoids.
Chlorophylls
 Insoluble in water and soluble in organic compounds such as tetrachloride, alcohol etc.
 Chlorophyll a, b, c, and d are found in eukaryotic photosynthetic plants and animals.
2
 Mainly absorbed wavelengths are: violet blue and orange red. Green yellow and indigo are
least absorbed by chlorophyll.
Structure
 Two parts: hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail.
 The head region is exposed on the surface of thylakoid membrane.
 Long hydrocarbon tail (C20H39)
Chlorophyll a and b
 Chlorophyll a is most abundant pigment in plants.
 It takes part directly in light dependent reactions.
Features Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll b

Molecular C55H72O5N4Mg C55H70O6N4Mg
formula
Functional group -CH3 -CHO
Occurrence All photosynthetic organisms except Found alongside chlorophyll a
photosynthetic bacteria
Forms 670,680,690,700nm No such forms
Color Blue-green Yellow-green
Carotenoids-accessory pigments
 Carotenoids are terpenoid lipids which are yellow, orange, red and brown pigments.
 Absorbs strongly violet blue wavelength of light.
 Carotenoids and chlorophyll b are accessory pigments. It is believed that:
Carotenoids Chlorophyll b Chlorophyll a
 Two types of pigments: carotenes and xanthophylls
 Carotenes: orange-red
 Xanthophylls: yellow-orange
 Broaden the spectrum of light that provides energy for photosynthesis
 Protect chlorophyll from intense light
 May be protect human eyes.
Role of H2O and CO2

Water
 Oxygen released during photosynthesis comes from water, thus water is the source of
atmospheric oxygen.
 In 1930s, Van Neil hypothesized that water is the source of oxygen during photosynthesis.
 Hypothesis was based on the photosynthetic bacteria that make carbohydrate from carbon
dioxide but do not release oxygen.
 Neil hypothesis was later confirmed.
Carbon dioxide

Bio Energetics

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Bio Energetics

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Bioenergetics

Light Variations and Compensation Point

Spectrum of Light for Plants

Feature Absorption spectrum Action spectrum

Role of Photosynthetic Pigments

Features Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll b

Role of H2O and CO2

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