Photosynthesis Overview

These flashcards focus on key vocabulary related to the process of photosynthesis, its components, and related concepts.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants, some bacteria, and protistans convert sunlight energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose.

Chlorophyll

The green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis, specifically in the violet-blue and reddish-orange wavelengths.

Stomata

Small openings on the leaf surface that allow the exchange of gases, such as carbon dioxide entering and oxygen exiting.

Xylem

Specialized plant cells that transport water from the roots to the leaves.

Thylakoid

The structural unit of photosynthesis in chloroplasts, where light-dependent reactions take place.

Grana

Stacks of thylakoids in chloroplasts that facilitate the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

Photophosphorylation

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

Calvin Cycle

The light-independent reactions of photosynthesis where carbon dioxide is converted into glucose using ATP and NADPH.

NADP+

A coenzyme that acts as an electron carrier in photosynthesis, becoming reduced to NADPH.

Limiting factors of photosynthesis

Factors such as light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, and temperature that can limit the rate of photosynthesis.