Photosynthesis

Flashcards covering key terminology and concepts related to photosynthesis, including processes, components, and types of organisms.

Biosphere

The global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships with the environment.

Photosynthesis

The process that transforms sunlight energy into chemical energy stored in sugars and organic molecules.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic materials; they are producers.

Heterotrophs

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

Chloroplasts

Organelles in plant cells that absorb sunlight energy and synthesize organic compounds from CO2 and H2O.

Calvin Cycle

A series of biochemical reactions in photosynthesis where carbon fixation occurs, converting CO2 into sugars.

Light Reactions

The initial stage of photosynthesis that captures solar energy and converts it to chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

Photorespiration

A process occurring in C3 plants where oxygen is fixed instead of CO2, consuming ATP and producing CO2.

C4 Plants

Plants that use an alternative pathway for carbon fixation, allowing them to efficiently utilize CO2 under low conditions.

CAM Plants

Plants that open their stomata at night to take up CO2, thus conserving water during the day.

Photon

A discrete particle of light; the smallest unit of electromagnetic radiation.

Chemiosmosis

The process of generating ATP through the movement of H+ ions across a membrane.

Photosystems

Complexes of chlorophyll and proteins that absorb light energy and generate chemical energy in photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll a

The primary pigment in photosynthesis responsible for capturing light energy.

Chlorophyll b

An accessory pigment that assists chlorophyll a by capturing additional light wavelengths.

Action Spectrum

The spectrum of wavelengths that are effective in driving photosynthesis.

Electron Transport Chain

A series of proteins embedded in the thylakoid membrane that transport electrons derived from water, producing ATP.

NADP+

An electron carrier that is reduced to NADPH during the light reactions of photosynthesis.

Stroma

The fluid-filled space in chloroplasts where the Calvin Cycle takes place.