Photosynthesis in Higher Plants - Unit 4 Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on photosynthesis in higher plants.

Photosynthesis

A physico-chemical process by which green plants use light energy to synthesize organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water.

Chlorophyll

Green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis.

Autotrophs

Organisms (like plants) that produce their own food through photosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on other organisms for sustenance.

Melvin Calvin

A chemist known for his research on photosynthesis, who developed the Calvin Cycle and won the Nobel Prize in 1961.

Calvin Cycle

The series of biochemical reactions that occur in the stroma of chloroplasts during photosynthesis, converting carbon dioxide into glucose.

C3 pathway

A photosynthetic pathway in which the first product of carbon fixation is a 3-carbon compound (PGA).

C4 pathway

A photosynthetic pathway in which the first product of carbon fixation is a 4-carbon compound (oxaloacetic acid).

Photorespiration

A wasteful process in C3 plants where the enzyme RuBisCO catalyzes the reaction of RuBP with oxygen instead of carbon dioxide.

RuBisCO

An enzyme that catalyzes the fixation of carbon dioxide in the Calvin Cycle and can also bind oxygen.

Light Reaction

The first phase of photosynthesis where light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

Electron Transport Chain

A series of proteins in the thylakoid membrane that transfer electrons and create a proton gradient used to synthesize ATP.

Chemiosmosis

The process of ATP production in chloroplasts powered by the proton gradient formed during the light reactions.

Z Scheme

The model describing the flow of electrons during the light reactions of photosynthesis.

Stomata

Tiny openings on plant leaves that allow for gas exchange, including the intake of carbon dioxide.

Factors affecting photosynthesis

Various internal and external conditions that influence the rate of photosynthesis, including light, temperature, water, and CO2 concentration.

Blackman's Law of Limiting Factors

A principle stating that the rate of a process is limited by the factor that is nearest to its minimal value.

Bundle Sheath Cells

Specialized cells in C4 plants that surround vascular bundles and contain high concentrations of RuBisCO.

Kranz Anatomy

A leaf structure found in C4 plants characterized by a ring of bundle sheath cells around vascular bundles.

Oxygen release

A byproduct of photosynthesis generated during the light reactions when water is split.

NADPH and ATP

Energy carriers produced in the light reactions of photosynthesis, used in the Calvin Cycle for sugar synthesis.