Photosynthesis Flashcards
What is photosynthesis used by?
Green plants to make food
What does photo mean?
Light
What does synthesis mean?
Make
Where does photosynthesis take place?
Plant cells inside chloroplasts, plant cells stacked together to form the tissues that build a leaf
What is light energy captured by?
A green pigment called chlorophyll
Why do darker leaves have a faster rate of photosynthesis?
More chloroplasts = more chlorophyll = darker leaves which capture more light energy
When does photosynthesis take place?
When sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll
What is chlorophyll?
The green pigment inside the chloroplasts of leaf cells
What does the captured light energy do?
Splits water, releasing oxygen as a waste product, converts it into chemical energy
Hydrogen from water combines with CO2 to make carbohydrates (sugars and starches)
Chemical energy makes this happen
How are carbohydrates (sugars) made in photosynthesis
Hydrogen will combine with CO2 using the first steps
What is the word equation for photosynthesis?
Sun’s energy
CO2+H2O —-> Sugars + oxygen
Chlorophyll
What does the equation mean?
Light energy trapped by chlorophyll
CO2+water are the raw materials for photosynthesis
Sugars + oxygen are produced
Oxygen = waste product, essential for life on Earth
Why do plants grow faster in the summer?
Plenty of light and temperatures are higher
Many of photosynthesis reactions are controlled by enzymes which work best in warm temperatures
What happens to some of the sugars made in photosynthesis?
Phosphorylase
Sugar molecules ——> Starch molecules
When do the fastest rate of photosynthesis occur?
Warm temperatures, high light intensity and high CO2 concentrations
