Photosynthesis Set 2

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

compound used by cells to store and release energy

Heterotroph

An organism that gets its food from other living organisms.

Autotroph

An organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food.

Photosynthesis

A process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light and energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches.

Pigment

light-absorbing molecule used by plants to gather the sun's energy

Chlorophyll

principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic organisms

Thylakoid

saclike photosynthetic membranes found in chloroplasts

Stroma

fluid portion of the chloroplast; outside of the thylakoids

NADP+ / NADPH

carrier molecule that transfers high-energy electrons from chlorophyll to other molecules

light-dependent reactions

set of reactions in photosynthesis that use energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH and Oxygen as a byproduct

light-independent reactions

set of reactions in photosynthesis that do not require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds such as sugar; also called the Calvin cycle

Photosystem

cluster of chlorophyll and proteins found in the thylakoid membranes

Electron Transport Chain

series of electron carrier proteins that shuttle high-energy electrons during ATP-generating reactions

ATP Synthase

cluster of proteins that span the thylakoid membrane and allow hydrogen ions (H+) to pass through it

Calvin Cycle

light-independent reactions of photosynthesis in which energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds such as sugar

Stomata

Small openings on the underside of a leaf through which oxygen and carbon dioxide can move