Physiology of Marine Primary Producers Flashcards
What do primary producers fix?
inorganic carbon and make organic compounds available to herbivores and other organisms in food chains/webs
What is the word equation for photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + water -> glucose + oxygen
How can primary production also occur?
chemosynthesis
What is chemosynthesis?
Oxidation of inorganic substances such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia
Where are most photosynthetic primary productivity carried out?
Phytoplankton
What is photosynthesis
The process by which plants capture light energy from the sun and use this to from chemical bond energy in organic molecules (such as carbohydrates).
What is Thylakoids?
membranes with pigments to absorb light energy
What are Ribosomes used for?
for protein synthesis (make enzymes need for photosynthesis)
What does DNA contain?
genes for enzymes required
What are the two main stagees of photosynthesis?
Light dependent and light independent
What do light dependent reactions do?
Capture light energy from the son
Waht does light dependent reaction require
“pigments” (colored substances) which absorb light energy and start the process of photosynthesis
Where are pigments found?
in chloroplasts of eukaryotes (plankton and plants)
Give 2 examples of pigments
- Chlorophylls
- Carotenoids (ß-carotene , Fucoxanthin, Phycobilin)
What is a light independent reaction?
When CO2 is fixed into organic molecules
How are individual reactions controlled in a light independent reaction?
By enzymes
How is it possible to extrat and separate pigments?
Using chromatography
What is chromatography?
the separation of a mixture by passing it in solution through a medium in which the components move at different rates
What do chlorophylls have?
A green color
What do chlorophylls absorb?
Light in red and blue-violet part of the spectrum
Name the 2 forms of chlorophyll
Chlorophyll a and b
What do carotenoids absorb
yellow orange pigments
Where do carotenoids best absorb?
in blue-violet and green wavelengths
What are other pigments found in algae?
Fucoxanthin and phycobilins
What is fucoxanthin
a yellow brown pigment
Where is fucoxanthin found?
in brown algae (reflects brown light)
What do fucoxanthins absorb?
blue-violet light