Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Chloroplast

The organelle in plant cells where photosynthesis takes place.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants convert sunlight into chemical energy in the form of glucose.

Mitochondrion

The organelle that is the site of cellular respiration, where ATP is produced.

Cellular respiration

The metabolic process by which cells convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP.

Aerobic respiration

Respiration that requires oxygen, yielding a high amount of ATP.

Anaerobic respiration

Respiration that occurs without oxygen, yielding a lower amount of ATP.

Glycolysis

The first step in cellular respiration, which breaks down glucose into pyruvate.

Kreb's Cycle

The cycle that occurs in the mitochondria, where Acetyl CoA is oxidized to produce NADH and FADH2.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that converts sugar to acids, gases, or alcohol in the absence of oxygen.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The main energy currency of the cell, used to power cellular activities.

Electron Transport Chain

A series of protein complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane that transfers electrons to produce ATP.

Oxidative phosphorylation

The part of cellular respiration that generates ATP using energy derived from electrons.

Hydrolysis

The chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water, such as the breakdown of ATP into ADP.

Acetyl CoA

A molecule formed from pyruvate that enters the Kreb’s cycle for further energy production.

Alcoholic Fermentation

A fermentation process that converts sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol, performed by yeasts.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

A process that converts glucose into lactic acid when oxygen is scarce, such as in muscle cells.

Substrate-level phosphorylation

The direct production of ATP from the transfer of a phosphate group to ADP.

Proton Pump

A protein complex that moves protons across a membrane, contributing to the proton gradient used for ATP synthesis.

Oxaloacetate

A four-carbon molecule that combines with Acetyl CoA in the Kreb's cycle.