basic info + general OV of photosynthesis Flashcards
what is an autotroph?
An Autotroph is an organism which produces its own energy by using things like the sun to make that energy. examples are plants and green blue algae
what is a heterotroph?
A Heterotroph is an organism which gains its energy by consuming other things. everything besides plants are heterotrophs.
what are Alternate photosynthetic pathways?
Adaptation of plants mean different ways of photosynthesis
what are some examples of different photosynthesis forms?
Examples are C4 and CAM
Regular photosynthesis is also known as C3 because of the carbon compound that it makes.
what is C4 photosynthesis?
C4 photosynthesis is Designed specifically to efficiently fix CO2 at low concentration.
These plants first fix CO2 into a four carbon compound (C4) called oxaloacetate - instead of the normal C3 compound. some examples are sugar cane, and corn.
what is CAM photosynthesis?
CAM plants live in very dry conditions and unlike other plans, open their stomata to fix CO2 only at night. Examples are Orchids, cactus.
what is required for photosynthesis to occur?
light, water, and carbon dioxide.
what affects the efficiency of photosynthesis?
the level of carbon dioxide, temperature, light intensity, and light color.
how does temperature affect photosynthesis?
photosynthesis only works well in a certain temperature range. if its too cold or hot, photosynthesis wont work as well.
how do carbon dioxide levels affect photosynthesis?
photosynthesis has a maximum speed at which the reaction can go at, so if the levels of carbon dioxide are low, it’ll be slower, as it goes high and higher, it starts to plateau, and then levels off.
how does light intensity affect photosynthesis?
photosynthesis has a maximum speed at which the reaction can go at, if light intensity is low, it’ll be slower, as it goes high and higher, it starts to plateau, and then levels off.
how does light color affect photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis works best at a certain color (or nanometers). some colors dont work very well (like green, it gets reflected off) and some do (like blue and red).
what is the chemical formula for photosynthesis?
Light + 6CO2 + 6H2O ⇒ C6H12O6 + 6O2
Light +carbon dioxide + water ⇒ glucose and oxygen
