Energy & Biological Building Blocks

A collection of key terms and definitions related to energy acquisition and photosynthesis in biological systems.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy and carbon by consuming other organisms or organic matter.

Photoautotrophs

Organisms that use light as an energy source to produce organic compounds.

Chemosynthesis

The process of using energy from chemical reactions to build sugars from smaller molecules.

Anabolic processes

Processes that build larger molecules from smaller ones, requiring energy.

Calvin Cycle

A set of chemical reactions that take place in chloroplasts during photosynthesis, converting CO2 into biomass.

Chlorophyll a

The primary photosynthetic pigment in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria.

Photosystems

Complexes of proteins and pigments that harvest light energy to generate high energy electrons.

ATP synthase

An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate during light reactions.

Thylakoid membranes

Stacked membranes within chloroplasts that are essential for energy production in photosynthesis.

Stroma

The fluid-filled space inside the inner membrane of chloroplasts where chemical reactions produce biomass.

Electrons transport chain

A series of proteins that transfer high-energy electrons generated during the light reactions to produce ATP and NADPH.

Nutrient Cycles

Processes that describe how different nutrients move through the environment, often facilitated by microbes.

Light reactions

The phase of photosynthesis that converts sunlight into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

Carbon dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen

The most important equation in biology, demonstrating the process of photosynthesis.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that are ancestors of chloroplasts and significantly contribute to the Earth's oxygen supply.