Chapter 6- Photosynthesis Flashcards
What is photosynthesis
the use of light energy to convert carbon from CO2 gas into an organic form. Oxygen, generated from the oxidation of H2O during the process, is released as a by-product
What does photosynthesis provide
the source of all the food we eat through the direct and indirect consumption
autotrophs
Organisms that make required organic (food) molecules from inorganic sources such as CO2 and water; self-feeding
Heterotrophs
Consumers and decomposers need a source of organic (food) molecules to survive
Photoautotrophs
use light as the energy source to make organic molecules by photosynthesis
what are the primary produces of the earth
photoautotrophs
Photosynthetic organisms:
- Convert sunlight energy into chemical energy
- Use energy to assemble complex organic molecules from inorganic raw materials
- The organic molecules are then used as energy sources (but also used as an energy source by other organisms)
what are the two stages of photosynthesis
light reactions and Calvin cycle
light reactions
light energy absorbed by pigment molecules is transformed into ATP and NADPH; O2 that is produced as a result of the oxidation of water is released as a by-product.
Calvin Cycle
NADPH and ATP produced during the light reactions provide energy and reducing power to fix carbon from CO2 and convert it into carbohydrates
what type of reaction is photosynthesis
redox reaction
where does photosynthesis take place
In eukaryotes (higher plants, algae), photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts
Chloroplast Structure
Surrounded by two membranes: outer and inner membranes
Separated by intermembrane space
Thylakoid membranes
- location
- structure
Location of photosynthetic pigments and electron transport chain
A complex of flattened, closed sacs
Stacks of membranes called grana
thylakoid lumen
The soluble compartment enclosed by thylakoids
Photosynthesis impacts global CO2 levels
You can see CO2 levels increase during the late fall and through the winter in the northern hemisphere, and decrease starting in the spring and through the summer
The Sun converts matter to energy, releasing it as
electromagnetic energy
The range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation is called the
electromagnetic spectrum
what is light
light is defined as the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can detect with their eyes
what does light behave as
Light behaves like a wave and like particles of energy (photons), and thus can be understood as a wave of photons.
Electromagnetic spectrum
forms radiant energy that differ in wavelength (horizontal distance between crests of successive waves)
Visible light has wavelengths between about
700 nm (red light) and 400 nm (blue light)
- we see the entire spectrum combined together as white light
the amount of energy in a unit of light is ______ proportional to wavelength
inversely proportional
- the shorter the wavelength, the greater the energy of the photon
When photons of light hit an object, 1 of 3 things can happen. The photon can be:
- reflected
- transmitted
- absorbed
to use energy light must be
absorbed - the energy of a photon must be transferred to an electron within the molecule
- switched the electronfrom a grounded state tp an excited state
pigments
molecules that absorb photons of specific wavelengths