Photosynthesis Overview

These flashcards are designed to cover key concepts related to photosynthesis, including definitions and processes critical to understanding how plants convert solar energy.

Photosynthesis

A process that captures solar energy and transforms it into chemical energy stored in carbohydrates.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, such as plants and algae.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that consume other organisms for food and energy; they rely on organic molecules.

Chloroplast

A plant organelle containing chlorophyll, responsible for photosynthesis.

Thylakoids

Disc-like structures in chloroplasts where the light reactions of photosynthesis take place.

Calvin Cycle

The set of chemical reactions that take place in the stroma of chloroplasts, converting CO2 into carbohydrates.

RuBP (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate)

A 5-carbon sugar that reacts with CO2 in the first step of the Calvin cycle.

Photorespiration

A process that occurs when oxygen is taken up by RuBP instead of carbon dioxide, common in hot, dry climates.

C4 Plants

Plants that adapt to hot, dry climates by fixing CO2 into a C4 molecule to minimize water loss.

Chemiosmosis

The process by which ATP is produced in chloroplasts and mitochondria by the movement of hydrogen ions across a membrane.