Photosynthesis Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts in photosynthesis including definitions, processes, and structures.

Photosynthesis is the process by which , some bacteria and some protistans use energy from sunlight to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water.

plants

Chlorophyll a absorbs its energy from the and reddish-orange wavelengths, and little from the intermediate (green-yellow-orange) wavelengths.

violet-blue

The raw materials of photosynthesis, water and carbon dioxide, enter the cells of the leaf, and the products, sugar and , leave the leaf.

oxygen

Water enters the root and is transported to the leaves through specialized plant cells known as ___ vessels.

xylem

Carbon dioxide can only enter the leaf through the flanked by two guard cells.

stoma

The structural unit of photosynthesis is the .

thylakoid

The light-dependent reactions occur in the of the chloroplasts.

grana

During photoactivation of chlorophyll a, an electron gains energy and is '__'.

excited

The chemical reaction where water molecules are split is known as _.

photolysis

The initial phase of the light-independent reactions begins with the formation of __ from carbon dioxide.

glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GALP)

Both ATP and NADPH are produced during __ phosphorylation.

non-cyclic

H+ ions diffuse from high to low concentration, driving the production of .

ATP

The incorporation of carbon dioxide into organic compounds is known as carbon _.

fixation

Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis include light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and __.

temperature

PSI absorbs energy most efficiently at __ nm and PSII at 680 nm.

700