3.5 bio notes

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary terms and definitions related to photosynthesis as discussed in the lecture notes.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.

Cellular Respiration

The process in which glucose and oxygen are broken down to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy.

Photolysis

The chemical reaction that uses light energy to split water molecules into electrons, hydrogen ions, and oxygen gas.

Chloroplast

An organelle in plant cells that contains chlorophyll and is the site of photosynthesis.

Thylakoids

Flattened membrane sacs within a chloroplast that contain chlorophyll and are the site for the light reactions of photosynthesis.

Photosystem

Large protein complexes in the thylakoid membranes that contain chlorophyll and are involved in the light-capturing process of photosynthesis.

ATP synthase

An enzyme that uses the energy from the diffusion of hydrogen ions down their concentration gradient to synthesize ATP.

NADP+

A molecule that acts as an electron carrier in photosynthesis, converting to NADPH after carrying electrons.

NADPH

An electron carrier molecule produced in photosynthesis that carries electrons to anabolic reactions.

Proton gradient

A difference in hydrogen ion concentration across a membrane, used to generate ATP in both cellular respiration and photosynthesis.

Cyclic electron flow

A pathway in photosynthesis where re-energized electrons are recycled back into the photosynthetic electron transport chain to produce more ATP.

Non-cyclic electron flow

A pathway where re-energized electrons are transferred to NADP+ to produce NADPH for anabolic reactions.