Biology Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration Vocab

Energy

The ability to do work

Work

The use of energy to move an object or cause a change

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs use the energy of sunlight to produce high-energy carbohydrates (sugars and starches) that can be used as food

Photo

Light

Synthesis

Putting together

Cellular respiration

The process by which organisms obtain energy from food, usually using oxygen

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

A molecule that cells use to store and release energy

Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)

A molecule with two phosphate groups; contains less energy than ATP and can be converted into ATP

Thylakoid

Saclike photosynthetic membranes inside chloroplasts

Pigment

Light-absorbing molecules in plants that gather the sun's energy

Anaerobic respiration

Energy-producing processes that do not use oxygen ("without air")

Aerobic respiration

Energy-producing pathways that require oxygen

Glycolysis

"Sugar-breaking"; the first stage of cellular respiration that breaks glucose into two molecules of pyruvic acid

Fermentation

An anaerobic process that allows cells to keep making ATP when oxygen is not available by regenerating NAD⁺

Glykys

Sugar

Lysis

Breaking

Ribose

A 5-carbon sugar found in ATP

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food

Heterotroph

An organism that gets food by consuming other organisms

Glucose

A simple sugar and the main energy source for cells

Chlorophyll

The main pigment in plants that absorbs light energy

Thylakoid discs

Membrane-bound sacs in chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll

NADPH

An electron carrier that stores energy for photosynthesis

NADH

An electron carrier that stores energy for cellular respiration

FADH₂

An electron carrier that helps produce ATP in cellular respiration