honors biology 9- photosynthesis (unit 3, chapter 8)

adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

compound used by cells to store and release energy

heterotroph

organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer

autotroph

organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer

photosynthesis

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

thylakoid

saclike photosynthetic membranes found in chloroplasts

stroma

fluid portion of the chloroplast; outside of the thylakoids

NADP+

(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) carrier molecule that transfers high-energy electrons from chlorophyll to other molecules

light-independent reaction

set of reactions in photosynthesis that do not require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds such as sugar; also called the Calvin cycle

light-dependent reaction

set of reactions in photosynthesis that use energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH

photosystem

cluster of chlorophyll and proteins found in thylakoids

electron transport chain

series of electron carrier proteins that shuttle high-energy electrons during ATP-generating reactions

pigment

light absorbing molecules used by plants to gather the sun's energy

chlorophyll

principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic organisms

ATP synthase

cluster of proteins that span the thylakoid membrane and allow hydrogen ions (H+) to pass through it

Calvin Cycle

light-independent reactions of photosynthesis in which energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds such as sugar