AP BIO Modules 15-19 Vocab

reduction

chemical reaction in which a molecule gains electrons and energy

oxidation

chemical reaction in which a molecule loses electrons and releases energy

NADPH

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate is an electron carrier molecule that transfers electrons and energy within cells, existing in both an oxidized form NADPHT^+ and a reduced form (NADPH)

Photosynthetic electron transport chain

series of protein complexes and redox reactions where light energy absorbed by chlorophyll powers the movement of electrons to produce ATP and NADPH

Light reaction

constitute the first stage of photosynthesis in which absorbed sunlight is converted into chemical energy stored in the bonds of ATP and NADPH

Calvin Cycle

second stage of photosynthesis in which energy from ATP and NADPH is used to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates

Stroma

region surrounding the thylakoid membranes within a chloroplast where the Calvin cycle takes place

Visible Light

portion of the electromagnetic spectrum apparent to human eyes, having wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700 nanometers (nm), which covers the specific wavelengths used in photosynthesis

Reaction Center

pair of chlorophyll molecules that accept energy from antenna chlorophylls and donate excited electrons to an adjacent electron acceptor[3]. This electron transfer initiates the redox reactions of the photosynthetic electron transport chain

Photosystem

protein-pigment complex embedded in the thylakoid membrane that functions as the structural and functional unit that absorbs light energy and drives electron transport

ATP Synthase

A transmembrane protein and enzyme that provides a channel for protons to move down their electrochemical gradient from the thylakoid space into the stroma[9]. It harnesses the kinetic energy of this proton flow to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate

Photophosphorylation

process of adding a phosphate group to ADP to synthesize ATP powered by the energy of sunlight.

Cellular Respiration

series of chemical reactions that convert the chemical energy in fuel molecules into the usable chemical energy of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

substrate-level phosphorylation

mechanism of generating ATP in which an organic molecule directly transfers a phosphate group to ADP

oxidative phosphorylation

process of synthesizing ATP in which reduced electron carriers donate electrons to the respiratory electron transport chain, using oxygen as the final electron acceptor

Glycolysis

first stage of cellular respiration, taking place in the cytoplasm, in which glucose is partially broken down to produce pyruvate

Krebs Cycle

third stage of cellular respiration in which acetyl-CoA is completely oxidized to carbon dioxide, transferring free energy to ATP and reduced electron carriers

Chemiosmosis

process in which protons move across a membrane and their movement is coupled to the synthesis of ATP

Fermentation

process that extracts energy from fuel molecules without using oxygen or an electron transport chain

Fitness

ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment is known as fitness, and it strongly influences the course of evolution.