Mnemonics: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants | Biology Class 11 - NEET PDF Download

Short lines help you remember the main ideas presented here. Learn concepts using mnemonics to boost your understanding. Enhance your knowledge with easy-to-remember techniques.  Make learning fun and engaging with phrases related to concepts.

1. Key Scientists and Their Contributions

Scientists: Priestley (Oxygen Role), Ingenhousz (Light Role), Sachs (Glucose/Starch), Engelmann (Action Spectrum), Calvin (Calvin Cycle)
Mnemonic: "Priests Inspire Scientists Exploring Cycles"
Breakdown:

• Priests → Priestley (Oxygen Role)

• Inspire → Ingenhousz (Light Role)

• Scientists → Sachs (Glucose/Starch)

• Exploring → Engelmann (Action Spectrum)

• Cycles → Calvin (Calvin Cycle)

 Priestley’s experiment

2. Major Pigments in Photosynthesis

Pigments: Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, Xanthophylls, Carotenoids
Mnemonic: "Cool Cats X-ray Carrots"
Breakdown:

• Cool → Chlorophyll a

• Cats → Chlorophyll b

• X-ray → Xanthophylls

• Carrots → Carotenoids

3. Products of Light Reaction

Products: ATP, NADPH, Oxygen (O₂)
Mnemonic: "Apples Nourish Oranges"
Breakdown:

• Apples → ATP

• Nourish → NADPH

• Oranges → Oxygen (O₂)

Light Reaction - Z Scheme

4. Photolysis (Splitting of Water)

Mnemonic Phrase: "Water Turns Energetic, Producing Oxygens and Particles."

• W – Water (Splitting of H₂O during the light reaction)

• T – Turns (Water molecules undergo photolysis)

• E – Energetic (Light energy excites electrons)

• P – Producing Oxygen (Oxygen is released from the splitting of water)

• O – Oxygen (As a byproduct of photolysis)

• P – Particles (Electrons and protons are released)

This mnemonic helps you understand photolysis, the process by which water is split during the light reaction to produce oxygen, electrons, and protons.

5. Cyclic and Non-Cyclic Photophosphorylation

Mnemonic Phrase: "Cyclic Paths Provide Only ATP, Non-Cyclic Powers Both."

• C – Cyclic photophosphorylation (Electrons from photosystem I return to the same system, only ATP is produced)

• P – Provide (Cyclic pathway only provides ATP)

• O – Only (ATP is produced in cyclic photophosphorylation)

• N – Non-cyclic photophosphorylation (Electrons flow from photosystem II to photosystem I and then to NADP⁺ to form NADPH)

• P – Powers (ATP and NADPH are both produced in non-cyclic photophosphorylation)

• B – Both (Non-cyclic photophosphorylation produces both ATP and NADPH)

This mnemonic helps you differentiate between cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation, which are the processes that generate ATP and NADPH.

Cyclic photophosphorylation

6. Stages of the Calvin Cycle

Stages: Carboxylation, Reduction, Regeneration
Mnemonic: "Cows Run Rapidly"
Breakdown:

• Cows → Carboxylation

• Run → Reduction

• Rapidly → Regeneration

7. Key Components of the Calvin Cycle

Components: RuBP, CO₂, 3-PGA, Glucose
Mnemonic: "Rabbits Chew Pretty Grass"
Breakdown:

• Rabbits → RuBP

• Chew → CO₂

• Pretty → 3-PGA

• Grass → Glucose

Calvin Cycle

8. Enzymes in C₃ and C₄ Pathways

Enzymes: RuBisCO (C₃), PEPcase (C₄)
Mnemonic: "Rocks Push"
Breakdown:

• Rocks → RuBisCO

• Push → PEPcase

9. Cell Types in C₄ Pathway

Cells: Mesophyll Cells, Bundle Sheath Cells
Mnemonic: "Mighty Bundles"
Breakdown:

• Mighty → Mesophyll Cells

• Bundles → Bundle Sheath Cells

10. Steps of the C₄ (Hatch and Slack) Pathway

Steps: CO₂ Fixation (Mesophyll), Transport to Bundle Sheath, CO₂ Release, Calvin Cycle
Mnemonic: "Fix, Travel, Release, Cycle"
Breakdown:

• Fix → CO₂ Fixation (Mesophyll)

• Travel → Transport to Bundle Sheath

• Release → CO₂ Release

• Cycle → Calvin Cycle

Hatch Slack Pathway

11. Factors Affecting Photosynthesis

Factors: Light, Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), Temperature, Water
Mnemonic: "Lovely Crops Thrive Well"
Breakdown:

• Lovely → Light

• Crops → Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

• Thrive → Temperature

• Well → Water

12. Characteristics of C₄ Plants

Characteristics: Kranz Anatomy, High Productivity, No Photorespiration, High Temperature Tolerance
Mnemonic: "Kranz Helps Plants Thrive"
Breakdown:

• Kranz → Kranz Anatomy

• Helps → High Productivity

• Plants → No Photorespiration

• Thrive → High Temperature Tolerance

13. Outcomes of Photorespiration (in C₃ Plants)

Outcomes: No Sugar Synthesis, No ATP/NADPH, CO₂ Release
Mnemonic: "Nothing Sweet, Air Lost"
Breakdown:

• Nothing → No Sugar Synthesis

• Sweet → No ATP/NADPH

• Air Lost → CO₂ Release