BIOL+1450+-+Exam+3+-+Study+Guide

Photosynthesis

The process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of food.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, the main energy carrier in cells, produced during the light reactions of photosynthesis.

NADPH

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, an electron carrier produced during the light reactions of photosynthesis.

Calvin Cycle

A series of reactions that use ATP and NADPH to convert CO2 into sugar.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances; photoautotrophs specifically use light.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot make their own food and must consume other living things for energy.

Mesophyll Cells

Cells located in the leaf that contain chloroplasts and are the primary site of photosynthesis.

Stomata

Small openings on the surface of leaves that allow gas exchange between the plant and the environment.

Chloroplast Structure

Double-membrane organelles containing thylakoids where photosynthesis occurs.

Rubisco

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the Calvin cycle.

Light Reactions

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

Photosystems I and II

Protein-pigment complexes in chloroplasts that absorb light energy during the light reactions.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making a specific protein or function.

Chromosomes

Structures within cells that contain DNA and genetic information.

Chromatin

The complex of DNA and proteins that make up chromosomes.

Somatic Cells

Body cells that are not involved in reproduction.

Gametes

Reproductive cells (sperm and egg) that carry half the genetic information of an individual.

Centriole

A structure that helps in cell division by organizing microtubules.

Cytokinesis

The process by which the cytoplasm of a parental cell divides into two daughter cells.

Cyclins

Proteins that regulate the cell cycle in conjunction with cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks).

Punnett Square

A diagram that predicts the genetic outcome of a cross between two organisms.

Alleles

Different versions of a gene that may produce distinguishable phenotypic effects.

Aneuploidy

An abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, which can lead to genetic disorders.

Genetic Recombination

The process by which genetic material is physically mixed during meiosis, leading to new genetic combinations.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands during replication.

Replication Fork

The y-shaped region where the DNA is unwound during replication.

Leading Strand

The new DNA strand synthesized continuously in the direction of the replication fork.

Lagging Strand

The new DNA strand synthesized in short segments away from the replication fork.