Biochemistry Exam

Ms Ariella

autotroph

organisms that produce their own organic compounds

ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

An energy-rich molecule produced in light reactions and used up in the Calvin Cycle to drive sugar synthesis. When broken down, it releases energy and becomes ADP + a phosphate group

chloroplast

the organelles in plant and algae cells where photosynthesis takes place

thylakoid membrane

sac-like membranes that are organized into stacks called grana

grana

stacks of disk like structures within plant chloroplasts, formed from flattened sacs called thylakoids

light reaction

when energy is harnessed in photons of sunlight to produce ATP and NADPH, molecules that store the energy from the sun for transfer to the Calvin Cycle

Calvin Cycle

Uses the NADPH and the ATP from the light reactions to synthesize sugars from molecules of CO2 (carbon dioxide)

chemosynthesis

another way autotrophs make food where the autotrophic organisms use chemical energy instead of light energy

endosymbiotic theory

proposes that eukaryotic cells evolved when large prokaryotic cells engulfed smaller, free-living bacteria that became intracellular organelles, specifically mitochondria and chloroplasts

NADPH

a coenzyme providing reducing power for anabolic pathways and antioxidant defense systems across living organisms (allows cellular respiration to continue without oxidative damage)

photosynthesis

the process by which plants, algae and some bacteria use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and sugar for their own energy and growth.

exocytosis

active transport process where cells transport molecules out of the cytoplasm by fusing membrane bound vesicles with the plasma membrane

endocytosis

the cellular process where the plasma membrane engulfs external materials to form vesicles, bringing substances like proteins, fluids or particles into the cell

phagocytosis

the cellular process for ingesting and eliminating large particles

pinocytosis

"cell drinking," a form of active endocytosis where cells ingest extracellular fluid and dissolved solutes by invaginating the plasma membrane to form small, internalized vesicles

active transport

energy driven process where membrane proteins transport molecules across cells

passive transport

type of membrane transport that does not require energy to move substances across cell membranes

ADP (adenosine diphosphate)

a vital, organic compound composed of adenine, ribose, and two phosphate groups acting as the essential precursor to ATP

cellular respiration

the metabolic process by which cells break down glucose and other organic molecules using oxygen to produce ATP while releasing water and carbon dioxide as waste products

glucose

a sugar made from water and carbon dioxide during photosynthesis by plants and most algae

stroma

the part of a tissue or organ with a structural or connective role

electron transport chain

a series of protein complexes and molecules embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane that transfers electrons from donor molecules to final acceptors via redox reactions, generating the majority of cellular energy in the form of ATP

electron carriers

specialized molecules tht shuttle electrons between compounds in metabolic pathways, acting as crucial energy intermediaries in cellular respiration and photosynthesis