Chapter 9 Flashcards
an organism that produces its own food using CO2 and other simple inorganic compounds form its environment and energy for the sun or from oxidation of inorganic substances
autotrophs
photosynthetic organism that use light as its energy source and carbon dioxide as its carbon source
photoautotrophs
an organism that acquires energy and nutrients by eating other organisms or their remains
heterotrophs
the first stage of photosynthesis, in which the energy of sunlight is absorbed and converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH
light-dependent reactions
the second stage of photosynthesis in which electrons are used as a source of energy to convert inorganic CO2 to an organic form
light-independent reactions/Calvin cycle
process in which electrons are used as source of energy to convert inorganic CO2 to an organic form
CO2 fixation
the range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves and including visible light
electromagnetic spectrum
molecule of green pigment that absorbs photons of light in photosynthesis
chlorophylls
molecule of yellow-orange pigment by which light is absorbed in photosynthesis
carotenoids
curve representing the amount of light absorbed at each wavelength
absorption spectrum
graph produced by plotting the effectiveness of light at each wavelength in driving photosynthesis
action spectrum
a large complex into which the light-absorbing pigments for photosynthesis are organized with proteins and other molecules
photosystems
in photosynthesis, a protein complex in the thylakoid membrane that uses energy absorbed from sunlight to synthesize ATP
photosystem II
in photosythesis a protein complex in the thylakoid membrane that uses energy absorbed from sunlight to synthesize NADPH
photosystem I
in photosystems, the sites at which light is absorbed and converted into chemical energy during photosynthesis, an aggregate of many chlorophyll pigments that serves as the primary site of absorbing light energy in the form of photons
antenna complex/light-harvesting complex
part of photosystems I and II in chloroplasts of plants. in the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, it receives light energy absorbed by the antenna complex in the same photsystem
reaction center
the synthesis of ATP coupled to the transfer of electrons energized by photons of light
photophosphorylation
an electron transport pathway associated with photosystem I in photosynthesis that produces ATP without the synthesis of NADPH
cyclic electron flow
an enzyme that catalyzes the key reaction of the Calvin cycle, carbon fixation, in which CO2 combines with RuBP (ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate) to form 3-phosphoglycerate
RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco)
the partial or full gain of electrons to a substance
reduction
a process that metabolizes a by-product of photosynthesis
photorespiration
in C4 plants the pathway to fix CO2 into oxaloacetate in mesophyll cells and then produce CO2 for the Calvin cycle in bundle sheath cells
C4 pathway
in CAM plant pathway to fix CO2 into oxaloacetate and then produce CO2 for the Calvin cycle both occurring in mesophyll cells but separated by time of day. stands for “crassulacean acid metabolism
CAM pathway
a biochemical variation of photsynthesis that was discovered in a member of the plant family Crassulaceae. carbon dioxide is taken up and stored during the night to allow the stomata to remain closed during the daytime, decreasing water loss
crassulacean acid metabolism
The conversion of light energy to chemical energy in the form of sugar and other organic molecules
photosynthesis
