Photosynthesis Reactions

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the process of photosynthesis as discussed in Lecture 17.

Light

Electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye and is absorbed by pigments in plants.

Chlorophyll a

The main photosynthetic pigment in plants that absorbs light primarily in the blue and red wavelengths.

Accessory Pigments

Pigments that assist chlorophyll a by absorbing additional wavelengths of light; examples include chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and xanthophyll.

Photosystem II

The photosystem that absorbs light and initiates the light-dependent reactions by splitting water molecules.

NADPH

An electron carrier molecule that stores energy during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

Calvin Cycle

The light-independent reactions of photosynthesis that occur in the chloroplast stroma, utilizing ATP and NADPH to fix carbon dioxide into carbohydrates.

Chemiosmosis

The movement of ions across a selectively permeable membrane, which in chloroplasts drives ATP synthesis during photosynthesis.

RuBisCO

An enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the Calvin Cycle by fixing carbon dioxide to ribulose bisphosphate.

Photon

A particle representing a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation.

Thylakoid Membrane

Internal membranes of chloroplasts where light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis occur.