Photosynthesis

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to the process of photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants, some bacteria and protistans use sunlight to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water.

Glucose

A simple sugar that is produced during photosynthesis and can be converted into pyruvate.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in photosynthetic organisms that absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis.

Accessory pigments

Compounds in plants that absorb light energy not absorbed by chlorophyll a, including chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and xanthophylls.

Thylakoids

Flattened sacs within chloroplasts that contain the photosynthetic chemicals and are arranged in stacks known as grana.

Light-dependent reactions

Reactions that require light energy to take place in the grana, producing ATP and NADPH.

Light-independent reactions

Reactions that do not require light, occurring in the stroma, using ATP and NADPH to produce carbohydrates.

Photoionisation

The process where chlorophyll absorbs light energy, freeing an electron and creating a positively charged chlorophyll ion.

Cyclic phosphorylation

A process that uses Photosystem I to generate ATP without producing NADPH, by cycling electrons back to PSI.

Calvin cycle

The series of light-independent reactions where carbon dioxide is fixed into carbohydrates.

Limiting factors of photosynthesis

Factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis, including light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, and temperature.

Chemiosmosis

The movement of H+ ions across a membrane that produces ATP during photosynthesis.

Photophosphorylation

The process of synthesizing ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using light energy.