WELCOME TO

GRADE 12
UNIT 4 – ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, MICROBIOLOGY
AND IMMUNITY

Topic 5: Energy Flow, Ecosystems Topic 6: Microbiology, Immunity and

and the Environment Forensics

• 5A: Photosynthesis • 6A: Microbiology

• 5B: Ecology • 6B: Immunity

• 5C: Environment & Climate • 6C: Decomposition & Forensics

change
•Photosynthesis
•Energy transfer in Ecosystem
•Ecology
•Succession
•Carbon cycle
•Climate change
 Overall equation, adaptations of leaf,
chloroplast structure

Pigments, Chromatography, Action

spectrum & Absorption spectrum
In this lesson
you will Light dependent reaction
learn…

Light independent reaction, products

of LIR to produce biomolecules

Limiting factors
Syllabus Specification: Success Criteria
• Understand the overall reaction of photosynthesis as • Write overall photosynthesis reaction
requiring energy from light to split apart the strong bonds (both word and chemical)
in water molecules, storing the hydrogen in a fuel
• Draw & label chloroplast structure
(glucose) by combining it with carbon dioxide and
• Define and draw absorption & action
releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
spectra.
• understand the structure of chloroplasts in relation to
• Describe the process of
their role in photosynthesis
• understand what is meant by the terms absorption chromatography and calculate Rf

spectrum and action spectrum value.

• understand that chloroplast pigments can be separated
using chromatography and the pigments identified using
Rf values
o Plants need energy for oPhotosynthesis is the

o Photosynthesis process used by living

o active transport (e.g. organisms, particularly
to take in minerals via Biological plants, to capture the
processes
their roots) energy of the sun using
need energy
o DNA replication chlorophyll and use it to
o cell division convert carbon dioxide
o protein synthesis
and water into simple
sugars.
 Word equation

6 6 6
Chemical equation

o The light energy is used to split strong bonds in water molecules (H O), releasing hydrogen and oxygen
o Oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a waste product
o Hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide to produce glucose
o Chemical energy is stored within the bonds in glucose molecules; glucose can therefore function as a
fuel for respiration
o Thin lamina: short diffusion distance for fast uptake of
carbon dioxide & release of oxygen
o Vessels in the midrib: transport of Water in the xylem
to the leaves & sucrose away from leaves in phloem

How spongy mesophyll is adapted for gas

exchange.
o Gas exchange occurs through the cell surface
membrane of the cells, decreasing diffusion distance
for diffusion of gases. Spongy mesophyll cells are
irregularly shaped increasing surface area to volume
ratio. CO2 continuously enter the cells & gets used
quickly thus, maintaining a steep concentration
gradient.
Similarities

• both have circular DNA

• both have ribosomes

• both have double membranes / envelope

Differences

• chloroplasts have stroma and mitochondria have a matrix

• chloroplasts have {thylakoids / thylakoid membranes / grana / intergranal lamellae} and mitochondria
have {a folded inner membrane / cristae}

• chloroplasts have starch grains and mitochondria do not

Thylakoid lumen Thylakoid membrane

Stroma Inner membrane

Starch grain
Circular DNA
Ribosome
o Chlorophylls
o Chlorophyll a (blue-green)
o Chlorophyll b (yellow-green)

o Carotenoids
o Xanthophyll (Yellow)
o Carotene (Orange)

o Phaeophytin (Grey)
o Contains a polar head
(porphyrin) containing
magnesium ion & non-polar
hydrocarbon tail (phytol).
o Chlorophyll molecules are
attached to protein complexes
in the thylakoid membrane.
The protein and the pigment is
called as PHOTOSYSTEM (PS)
Name the ion found in the porphyrin ring.

Magnesium

1. This part is in the {membrane / phospholipid bilayer}

ACCEPT attached to tail is hydrophobic
3. This holds chlorophyll in the correct {orientation / place}
Plants look green. If you extract the pigments from a plant by grinding up leaves with
propanone and then filtering, the filtrate looks green.

So, how can you show that there are several different pigments?

CHROMATOGRAPHY
o Chromatography can be used to separate and identify chloroplast
pigments that have been extracted from a leaf.
1. Use motor and pestle to grind a section of leaf in
solvent (like acetone). This release pigments in the
leaf.
2. Draw base line (origin) on filter paper.
3. Load the extract at the middle of base line of the filter
paper.
4. Dip the filter paper into solvent below the origin.
Pigment mixture dissolves in the solvent and is carried
with it as solvent moves up
5. Leave the paper until the leading edge is near the end
of the paper.
 Solvent front

o The Rf value is the ratio of distance travelled by the pigment

to the distance travelled by the solvent alone.

o Larger, less soluble molecules will travel more slowly - 10cm

smaller Rf value

o Smaller, more soluble molecules will travel faster - larger Rf

5.6 cm
value
o Depends on the solvent used.
o Can be calculated using the formula; Base line

𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 (𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒑𝒊𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕) 5.6

Rf 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 =
𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕
= = 0.56
10
o Once Rf value determined, can compare with known Rf values of known pigments in
the same solvent.

o Different movement of pigments is observed in different solvents.

o As some pigments are less soluble in some solvents.

 The diagram shows separated chloroplast pigments, J and K.
Describe how this chromatogram could be produced. (3)

• Leaf crushed to form an extract and dissolved in a solvent to

release pigments.
• Pigments loaded onto the {filter paper/ origin}
• Filter paper is then dipped into solvent below the origin
• And left to run until the leading edge is near end of filter paper

Calculate the Rf value for chloroplast pigment J? (1)

6
Rf 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 = = 𝟎. 𝟖
7.5
Measurements are taken from a chromatogram to determine the Rf value for a photosynthetic pigment.
Describe the measurements taken and how they can be used to calculate the Rf value for this pigment.(3)

o Distance solvent moved from the origin measured

o Distance {pigment / solute} moved from the origin measured
o Use the equation {Rf = distance moved by pigment ÷ distance
moved by solvent} to calculate Rf value.
o Chloroplasts contain several
different photosynthetic
pigments
o Different pigments absorb light
of different wavelengths
o The amount of light at different
wavelengths absorbed by a
particular pigment gives that
pigment's absorption spectrum
(plural spectra).
o Rate of photosynthesis varies depending
on the wavelengths of light available.
o The changing rate of photosynthesis at
different wavelengths is known as an
action spectrum.
o Action spectra are very closely
correlated to the absorption spectra of
the different pigments
o Allows maximum light absorption
increasing rate of photosynthesis.
(a) An absorption spectrum shows how much light is absorbed by chloroplasts at different wavelengths of light.
The table shows the color of light at four wavelengths. Which wavelength of light is absorbed the least by
chloroplasts?

(b) State what is meant by the term action spectrum. (1)

Rate of photosynthesis at different wavelengths of light
The composition of three seaweeds, U. fasciata, S.
linifolium and C. officinalis, collected from a beach in
Egypt, was determined. The graph shows the
chloroplast pigments extracted from these seaweeds.
The graph shows the absorption spectrum for these
three chloroplast pigments. Which row of the table
shows the color of each of these seaweeds?
 Describe two conclusions that can
be made about the differences in
absorption spectra shown in these
two graphs. (2)

o Bacterial pigments can absorb light

at a greater range of wavelengths
o Bacterial pigments absorb more
light at most wavelengths
o Bacterial pigments absorb most
light at 380 nm and 880 nm and
plant pigments at 440 nm.