Photosynthesis Vocab Flashcards
Aerobic
A process that requires oxygen
Alcoholic fermentation
Biological process where yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide
Anaerobic
Process that does not require oxygen
ATP
Energy carrying molecule found in cells of all living things
Autotroph
Organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food
Cellular respiration
Process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen
Chlorophyll
Principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic organisms
Chloroplast
Organelle found in cells of plants and some other organisms that captures the energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy
Fermentation
Process by which cells release energy in the absence of oxygen
Glycolysis
First set of reactions in cellular respiration in which a molecule of glucose is broken into two molecules of pryruvic acid
Heterotroph
An organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms
Lactic acid fermentation
A metabolic process where glucose is converted into ATP in the absence of oxygen, producing lactic acid as a byproduct
Light dependent reaction
Set of reactions of photosynthesis that use energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH
Light independent reaction
Set of reactions in photosynthesis that do not require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high energy compounds such as sugar, also called the Calvin Cycle
Photosynthesis
Process used by plants and other autotrophs to captures light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that converts carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
Pigment
Light absorbing molecule used by plants to gather the sun’s energy
