Photosynthesis Flashcards
Autotroph
An organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals
Light Reactions
The light-dependent reaction is a photochemical reaction taking place in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts, where light energy is transformed into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH).
Photosynthesis
The process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy.
Calvin cycle
The cycle of chemical reactions where the carbon from the carbon cycle is fixed into sugars
Electron Transport Chain
A series of four protein complexes that couple redox reactions, creating an electrochemical gradient that leads to the creation of ATP in a complete system named oxidative phosphorylation
NADPH
An important electron donor found in all living organisms.
Pigment
A substance that gives color to other materials.
Chlorophyll
A pigment that gives plants their green color
Stomata
Allow for gas exchange to occur, mainly carbon dioxide to enter the plant to make food molecules such as glucose and for oxygen to be released by the plant.
Granum
A coin-shaped stack of thylakoids, which are the membrane-like structures found inside the chloroplasts of plant cells.
Carbon Fixation
The conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic molecules by autotrophic organisms.
Heterotrophs
An organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients.
Thylakoids
Pouch-like sacs that are bound to a membrane in the chloroplasts of a plant cell
Carotenoids
Pigments in plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria.
