Carbon in the Earth System Flashcards
Photosynthesis
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water
Atom
the smallest basic unit of matter
Molecule
two or more atoms bonded together by shared electrons
Compound
subtances composed of two or more atoms bonded together
Element
a subtance made up of one type of atom and cannot be broken into simpler substances
Chemical reaction
breaking bonds in a substance and rearranged to form a new substance
Carbon
is a chemical element with the symbol C. Its atom makes four electrons available to form chemical bonds.
Glucose
a simple sugar that is made by plant cells during photosynthesis
ATP
a molecole made up of subunits adenosine and ribose. Stores and carries chemical energy in a form cells can use
Chloroplast
an organelle inside a plant cell that absorbs light and in which photosynthesis takes place
Chlorophyll
the pigment inside plants cells that absorbs wavelengths of light
Cyanobacteria
single celled aquatic photosynthetic organisms that first oxygenated the Earth’s atmosphere.
Electrons
negatively charged particles in atoms
Ions
charged atoms or molecules
Light Dependent Reactions
chemical reactions that take place within a plant cell’s thylakoids and depend on light
Light Independent Reactions
chemical reactions that take place in the stroma and do not depend on light
Calvin Cycle
the second stage of photosynthesis which is light-independent. It uses light energy to make sugars
Cellular Respiration
the metabolic process in living organisms by which oxygen is combined with carbon in a cell to form carbon dioxide and generate energy
Cell
the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism
Organelle
any of a number of organized or specialized structures within a living cell
Carbon Cycle
shows the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on earth
