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Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in plants that is essential for photosynthesis.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

A colorless gas that is produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration.

Oxygen (O2)

A gas that is produced during photosynthesis and is essential for respiration in most living organisms.

Glucose

A simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms and is a product of photosynthesis.

Light-dependent reactions

The first stage of photosynthesis that requires light to occur, producing ATP and NADPH.

Light-independent reactions (Calvin Cycle)

The second stage of photosynthesis that does not require light and uses ATP and NADPH to synthesize glucose.

Thylakoid

A membrane-bound compartment inside chloroplasts where the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis take place.

Stroma

The fluid-filled space surrounding the thylakoids in chloroplasts where the light-independent reactions occur.

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate)

An energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things.