Chapter 8: Photosynthesis Flashcards
Organisms such as plants, which make their own food.
Autotroph
Organisms, such as animals, that cannot use the sun’s energy directly. They obtain energy from the foods they consume.
Heterotroph
One of the principal chemical compounds that cells use to store and release energy. They consist of adenine, a 5-carbon sugar called ribose, and three phosphate groups.
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
In this process, plants use the energy of sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into high-energy carbohydrates—sugars and starches—and oxygen, a waste product.
Photosynthesis
Light-absorbing molecules that plants gather the sun’s energy with.
Pigments
The plants’ principal pigment. There are two main types: chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b.
Chlorophyll
Saclike photosynthetic membranes in chloroplasts that are arranged in stacks known as grans (granum).
Thylakoid
Proteins in the thylakoid membrane organize chlorophyll and other pigments into these clusters. They are the light-collecting units of the chloroplast.
Photosystems
Where the Calvin cycle takes place.
Stroma
A carrier molecule that accepts and holds 2 high-energy electrons along with a hydrogen ion (H+). This converts it into NADPH.
NADP+
They require light. They use energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH. They produce oxygen gas and convert ADP and NADP+ into the energy carriers ATP and NADPH.
Light-Dependent Reactions
A protein in the cell membrane that spans the membrane and allows H+ ions to pass through it. As H+ ions pass through it, the protein rotates like a turbine being spun by water in a hydroelectric power plant.
ATP Synthase
During this process, plants use energy that ATP and NADPH contain to build high-energy compounds that can be stored for a long time. It uses ATP and NADPH from the light-dependent reactions to produce high-energy sugars.
Calvin Cycle
