Unit 6 Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Flashcards
What is the ancestor of all plants? Why?
Algae? It photosynthesizes, lives in the ocean, and can be a protist.
What are the reactants of photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide and water
What causes Global warming?
Excess CO2. CO2 is released whenever we burn fossil fuels like gas, coal or oil. CO2 is a greenhouse gas. Too much CO2 will trap too much heat and warm the earth, just like too many blankets would make you too hot.
Why are plants green?
White light contains all colors. When white light hits a plant, the chlorophyll will absorb all of the colors except for green (and some yellow), which will bounce of the plant and go to your eye.
Why do some leaves turn colors in the fall?
Some plants stop photosynthesizing for the winter, so they stop making chlorophyll. The plants’ remaining pigments don’t absorb red, orange, or yellow.
What does the waxy layer do?
Prevents water from evaporating out of the leaf.
What do the stomata and guard cells do?
The stomata are holes that allow air to flow into and out of the bottom of a leaf. CO2 goes in and O2 leaves. Guard cells close the leaf to conserve water when the plant is dry or not photosynthesizing.
Describe CO2’s journey in a leaf.
CO2 flows into the leaf through the stomata. Once inside, it diffuses into the cells of the spongy layer. Photosynthesis connects 6 CO2s making glucose. The plant will later burn the glucose for energy and release the CO2 again.
What is food for plants?
Glucose (It is the building block and provides energy)
Where does most of the mass for a plant come from?
Most mass comes from CO2 and then H2O. Very little comes from nutrients in the soil.
Why are plants good for global warming?
Plants take in CO2 during photosynthesis, reducing this greenhouse gas.
What are the products of photosynthesis?
Glucose (food for plants) and Oxygen (a waste product for plants)
What happens to glucose after it is made?
Cells use facilitated diffusion to move glucose through the phloem and to an area of storage like fruit or tubers (roots like potatoes or carrots).
What are the four steps of photosynthesis?
Hydrolysis, Electron transport chain, Calvin cycle, and Glucose formation
Honors: What happens during the 1st step of photosynthesis?
Hydrolysis- Energy from the sun is used to remove electrons from water and place them in the electron transport chain. H+ ions go into the thylakoid and Oxygen gas (a waste product) is made.
