Photosynthesis: Chp 10 Flashcards
autotrophs
“self feeders”; they sustain themselves without eating anything derived from other organisms. Ultimate source of organic compounds. AKA producers
Heterotrophs
live on compounds produced by other organisms. AKA consumers. Dependent on the process of photosynthesis for both food and oxygen
chloroplasts
specific sites of photosynthesis in plant cells
mesophyll
tissue found in the interior of the leaf where chloroplasts are mostly located
stroma
dense fluid-filled area of the plant
chlorophyll
located in the thylakoid membranes and is the light-absorbing pigment that drives photosynthesis and gives plants their green color
stomata
tiny pores i the exterior of the lower epidermis of a leaf where carbon dioxide enters and oxygen and water vapor exits the leaf
photosynthesis equation
6CO2+6H2O+Light Energy—>C6H12O6+6O2
what are the two stages of photosynthesis
light reactions and calvin cycle
light reactions
occur in the thylakoid membranes where solar energy is converted to chemical energy. Net products are NADPH, ATP, and oxygen. STEPS:
1: light is absorbed by chlorophyll and drives the transfer of electrons from water to NADP+, forming NADPH
2: water is split during these reactions, and O2 is released
3: ATP is generated, using chemiosmosis to power the addition of a phosphate group to ADP, a process called photophosphorylation
calvin cylce
occurs in the stroma, where CO2 from the air is incorporated into organic molecules in carbon fixation. the calvin cycle uses the fixed carbon plus NADPH and ATP from the light reactions in the formation of new sugars
light
electromagnetic energy that is important for photosynthesis
photons
discrete particles that make up light. they have a fixed quantity of energy
pigments
substances that absorb light
absorption spectrum
a graph plotting a pigment’s light absorption versus wavelength