Photosynthesis & Respiration Flashcards | Quizlet

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy, producing glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water.

Chloroplast

Double-membrane organelles in eukaryotic cells where photosynthesis occurs.

Thylakoids

Sac-like membranes within chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll, the site for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

Stroma

The fluid-filled space in chloroplasts surrounding the thylakoids; the site of the Calvin Cycle.

Photolysis of Water

The process in which water is split into protons, electrons, and oxygen gas during photosynthesis.

ATP Synthase

An enzyme that produces ATP by utilizing the proton gradient created during electron transport.

Calvin Cycle

The light-independent reactions of photosynthesis that synthesize sugars using ATP and NADPH.

RuBisCO

The enzyme that catalyzes the fixation of carbon dioxide to Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) in the Calvin Cycle.

Cellular Respiration

The catabolic pathway through which cells break down glucose and release energy in the form of ATP.

Glycolysis

The anaerobic process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, yielding a net gain of 2 ATP and 2 NADH.

Krebs Cycle

A series of reactions in the mitochondrial matrix that further oxidize pyruvate to produce CO2, ATP, NADH, and FADH2.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The final stage of cellular respiration where ATP is generated using the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis.

Final Electron Acceptor

Oxygen, which accepts electrons and protons to form water during oxidative phosphorylation.

NADPH

The electron carrier produced during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, used in the Calvin Cycle.

Energy Yield of Cellular Respiration

Approximately 32 to 34 ATP are generated during oxidative phosphorylation.