Photosynthesis and some generally interesting facts about plants and whatnot Biophysical Seminar...

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Photosynthesisand some generally interesting facts about plants and whatnot

Biophysical Seminar2011. December 2.

Bence FerdinandyPhysics MSc II.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Introduction

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Introduction

Light phase

• binding of energy• emission of oxigen

Dark phase

• binding of CO2

• sugar synthesis

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Outline of the talk

• The anatomy of Photosynthesis

• The Light phase

• The Dark phase

• Problems: photorespiration

• The efficiency of photosynthesis

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The plant cell (EM pic)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The plant cell (cartoon)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Endosymbiothic theory

Our ancestor protista ate bacteria like things: mithochondria and chloroplast

Evidence:• double membrane

• own DNA

• lot of things similar to bacteria

• they replicate separately (we get our mother’s)

We are not alone in our own cells!

Shocking piece of information

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2..

Chloroplast (EM pic)

MP

Grana (thylakoid membrane)

Lamella (thylakoid membrane)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Chloroplast (cartoon)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Purpose of the light phase:high energy molecules

ATP: Adenosine triphosphate

NADPH: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

Very important, (almost) everything works with it. Made in mitchondria also.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Light phase I. (the electron transportchain)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Light phase I. (the electron transportchain)

„OUTSIDE”

„INSIDE”

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Light phase I. (the electron transportchain)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The heart of it all: the Photosystem

What happens here?

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Photosystem II

Quite a beauty if ya ask me.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The light harvesting complex of the Photosystems

The harvesting complex:Energy transfer with FRET

Chlorophyll-A molecule

Special pair

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

One photon excites one electron

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The electron is passed to a plastoquinoneOne PQ can take two electrons

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Plastoquinone takes up two protons from the stroma („outside”)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Plastoquinone gives the two electrons to cytochrome

And the two protons to the lumen („inside”)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

PSII lost two electrons: it splits water to get electrons, one H2O = e-

2 H2O = O2 + 2 p+ -> more protons „inside”

Risky!

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Cytochrome transfers the two electrons to plastocyanin

Two more protons are pumped to the lumen („inside”)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Plastocyanin takes the two electrons to PSIThe electrons are now ground state: their energy lost in the transfer and proton pumping

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Electrons are excited again and transfered to the the Ferredoxin NADP Reductase by ferredoxin

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The FNR puts the energy of the electrons into NADPH

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Now there’s a concentration gradient of protons, so the protons go back „outside” through the ATP synthase.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

The energy of the gradient is stored in ATP.

ATP synthase is like a turbine and is rotated by the proton flow.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Light phase II.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2..

Light phase III.

2 H2O , 4 photons

2 NADPH , 3 ATP , 1 O2

12 protons pumped

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Absortion spectrum of chlorophyll

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Excitation levels of chlorophyll

S0

S1

S2

S3

T1

light

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Excitation levels of chlorophyll

S0

S1

S2

S3

T1

light

Fast energy loss

photosynthesis

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Excitation levels of chlorophyll

S0

S1

S2

S3

T1

light

Fast energy loss

photosynthesis

Fluorescence

Phosphorescence

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Dark phase I: RuBisCO

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase:

The most abundant protein on Earth.

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Dark phase II: Calvin-cycle

• RuBisCO + 3 RuBP (5C) + 3 CO2 3 pc. 6C 6 pc. 3PGA (3C)

• 13 steps, energy consuming process (Calvin cycle) 1 G3P (3C) 3 RuBp

• 2 G3P 1 glucose (6C)

• the energy used during this: 12 NADPH 18 ATP

24 photons

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Calvin cycle

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Photorespiration

• RuBisCO can take O2 as substrate, creates useless product (concentration dependent)

• reversing the product needs energy, process loses C

• it is done by the photorespiration complex (chloroplast + mitochondrion + peroxisome)

• types of photosynthesis: C3, C4, CAM

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

C3 Photosynthesis

• Typical (85%)

• Just explained how it works

• Fixes CO2 into C3 product

• Inefficient in hot and dry circumstances, because leaves „close” (don’t lose water, can’t take up CO2

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

C4 Photosynthesis

• Spatial separation

• Fixes CO2 in outer cell with PEP (another ensym) to C4 product

• C4 into CO2 in inner cell

• Calvin cycle in inner cell

• RuBisCo doesn’t meet high concentration of oxygen

• Example: sugarcane, corn

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

CAM Photosynthesis

• Temporal separation, 1 cell

• Fixes CO2 with PEP during nightwhile Calvin cycle is not going

• Closes cell during day and does Calvin cycle

Example: Cactus, pineapple

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Efficiency I.

Loses of energy during the whole process: • ~30% - cross section

• ~47% - limited absorbtion range

• ~24% - uses energy of red quanta only

• ~68% - during the glucose production

• ~35-45% - photorespiration and such

this estimate gives 5-6% efficiency

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Efficiency II.

• Theoretical: 30% (including the energy loss of chemical reactions

• Laboratory conditions: 25%

• Natural conditions:• in Death Valley (winter evening primrose): 8%• sugarcane: 7% (remember, it’s C4)• most crops: 1-4 %

• This 1-7% is also used to upkeeping, growing, reproduction

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

Efficiency III.

Comparison with solar panels:

• theoretical: 86%

• laboratory: > 40 %

• commercial (cheap/not so cheap): ~6% / 15-20%

BUT: the plant is a self-replicating, self-maintaining solar cell, and enviroment friendly (no rare elements needed)

Bence Ferdinandy – Biophysics Seminar 2011. december 2.

What we have learned

• the anatomy of the photosynthetic apparatus: chloroplast

• light phase: electron transport chain, water splitting, O2 making

• generates high energy molecules, uses proton gradient

• dark phase: CO2 fixation with RuBisCO + energy = glucose

• photorespiration: RuBisCO can fix O2 as well -> C3, C4, CAM paths

• efficiency: below 10%