Food Supply, Plant Growth and Productivity Flashcards
Absorption
Process by which light is taken in and retained by a leaf.
Absorption spectrum
Display/graph showing the quantity of light absorbed by a pigment at different wavelengths of light.
Action spectrum
Graph showing the rate of photosynthesis by a green plant at different wavelengths of light.
Carbohydrates
Large group of organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Carotenoids
Yellow pigments which absorb light and pass the energy to chlorophyll.
Chlorophylls
Green pigments which absorb light in the red and blue regions of the spectrum.
Chromatography
Technique used to separate the components of a mixture that differ in their degree of solubility in a solvent.
Cultivar
Variety of plant obtained from natural species by selection and/or genetic manipulation and maintained by cultivation.
Food security
Ability to access food of adequate quantity and quality.
Nanometre
One thousand-millionth of a metre.
Photosynthesis
Process by which green plants trap light energy and use it to produce carbohydrates.
Reflection
Process by which light bounces off a leaf surface.
Transmission
Process by which light passes through a leaf.
Trophic
Term referring to a level in a food chain or pyramid.
ATP
High energy compound which provides the energy needed to drive the Calvin cycle.
ATP synthase
Enzyme which catalyses the synthesis of ATP from ADP and Pi.
Calvin cycle
Second stage of photosynthesis during which carbon dioxide is taken up and sugar is synthesised.
Carbon dioxide
Raw material which supplies carbon atoms to be fixed into carbohydrates.
Electron transport chain
Group of protein molecules in the membrane of a chloroplast which makes energy available to pump hydrogen ions across the membrane and to split water molecules.
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P)
Metabolite in the Calvin cycle used to regenerate RuBP and make sugar.
Hydrogen
Product of photolysis of water which becomes attached to NADP.
Light-dependant reaction
First stage of photosynthesis during which light energy is converted to chemical energy.
NADP
Compound which accepts hydrogen released during the photolysis of water.
Oxygen
Product of photolysis of water which is required for aerobic respiration.
