Basic Photosynthesis Information

Question 1

Simply, what is photosynthesis?

Answer 1

The Process in which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar.

Question 2

Where does Photosynthesis occur?

Answer 2

Chloroplast

Question 3

What are the Parts of the Chloroplast?

Answer 3

Stroma
Thylakoid
Granum

Question 4

What is the Stroma?

Answer 4

Inside of chloroplast (similar to cytoplasm)
Place where Calvin Cycle Occurs

Question 5

What is the Thylakoid?

Answer 5

Coins inside the chloroplast
Place where Light Dependent Reaction Occurs.

Question 6

What is the Granum?

Answer 6

Stack of Thylacoids.

Question 7

What are the Reactants in Photosynthesis?

Answer 7

Light + Water + Carbon Dioxide

Question 8

What are the Products of Photosynthesis?

Answer 8

Glucose + Oxygen

Question 9

What is ATP and how used in Photosynthesis?

Answer 9

Chemical energy that your body uses for everyday activities.
For the immediate release of energy. As soon as it is made, it is used.
Plants capture and store the energy they derive from light during photosynthesis in ATP molecules.

Question 10

What is Glucose and How is it used in Photosynthesis?

Answer 10

Glucose is better storage for the long term(can hold 90x the energy that ATP holds)
Glucose is used by plants for energy and to make other substances like cellulose and starch.

Question 11

What is the Difference Between ATP and Glucose?

Answer 11

ATP is used for the immediate release and storage of energy while Glucose is better for long-term energy.

Question 12

What are the Lights and Pigments used in Photosynthesis?

Answer 12

• Sunlight - Mixture of wavelengths of light (visible light spectrum)
  - ROYGBIV
• Pigments absorb light
• The principal pigment is chlorophyll a and b
• When chlorophyll absorbs light energy is transferred into electrons in the pigment.
• Energy levels are raised to produce high-energy electrons.

Question 13

What is the reaction in Photosynthesis?

Answer 13

Light + 6CO2 + 6h2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
OR
Light + carbon dioxide + water → sugars and oxygen

Question 14

What are Electron Carriers and how are they used in Photosynthesis?

Answer 14

• High energy electrons require a specific carrier
• A carrier molecule is a compound that can accept a pair of high-energy electrons and transfer them to another molecule.
• One carrier molecule is known as NADP + which will accept and hold 2 electrons and an H+ ion to convert to NADPH
  - ION is any charged particle
• NADPH is a form of energy produced from photosynthesis

Question 15

What are alternate photosynthesis pathways?

Answer 15

Adaptations of plants
Examples are C4, CAM
Regular Photosynthesis is known as C3 because of the carbon compound that it makes.

Question 16

What is C4 Pathway

Answer 16

The C4 pathways are designed to efficiently fix CO2 at low concentrations
These plants first fix CO2 into a four-carbon compound (, C4) called oxaloacetate-instead of the normal C3
Examples: Sugar cane, Corn

Question 17

What is the C3 Pathway

Answer 17

CAM plants live in very dry conditions and, unlike other plants, open their stomata to fix CO2 only at night.
Examples: Orchids, cacti

Question 18

What is an Autotroph?

Answer 18

• Usage of light
• Make their own energy
• Energy:
  - Plants
  - Blue-Green Algae

Question 19

What is a Heterotroph?

Answer 19

• Eat autotroph
• Eat to gain energy
• Examples:
  - Everything else