In: Biology
DCMU is marketed as an algicide and an herbicide. It works by
blocking the binding site...
DCMU is marketed as an algicide and an herbicide. It works by
blocking the binding site for plastoquinone on photosystem II.
- If DCMU blocks plastoquinone from binding to photosystem II
then in what state (oxidized or reduced) will the chlorophyll a of
photosystem II be stuck? Why?
- Based on your answer above, in what state would plastoquinone
be stuck? Why?
- Considering where DCMU binds, would plants in nature exposed to
DCMU be able to produce
ATP and NADPH through the light
reactions? Why or why not?
- If plants exposed to DCMU cannot produce ATP and NADPH through
the light reactions, how
would this affect the
light-independent reactions?
- DCMU, as an herbicide, will eventually kill plants that are
exposed to it. Why is this the case? In
answering this, relate DCMU to
photosynthesis and both DCMU and photosynthesis to cellular
respiration.