Chapter 5 - Photosynthesis and Climate Change Flashcards
Global warming
The progressive increase of Earth’s average temperature
Global climate change
The local change in average temperature, precipitation, and sea level relative to historical conditions
Greenhouse effect
The retention of heat in the atmosphere by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
Heat
The total amount of energy associated with the movement of atoms and molecules in a substance
Temperature
Measurement of the intensity of heat
Fossil fuels
Unconsumed carbohydrates that have been buried and released through volcanic activity or combustion, contributes to buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere
Photosynthesis
Organic process that traps light energy from the sun and uses it to turn CO2 and water into sugars
Chloroplasts
Specialized organelles surrounded by two membranes in plant cells where photosynthesis takes place
Storms
The thick fluid that hosts some of the enzymes of photosynthesis
Thylakoids
Dislike membranous structures that are typically stacked in piles
Chlorophyll
Pigment molecules that absorbs red and blue energy from the sun
Light reactions
A series of reactions that occur in chloroplasts during photosynthesis and serve to convert energy from the sun into the energy stored in ATP. These reactions also produce oxygen gas
Calvin cycle
A series of reactions that occur in the chloroplast during photosynthesis and that utilize NADPH and ATP to reduce carbon dioxide and produce sugars
Rubisco
the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis
Stomata
Pores on the photosynthetic surfaces of plants that allow air into the internal structure of leaves and green stem and also provide portals through which water can escape
