Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to photosynthesis and cellular respiration, foundational to understanding energy conversion in living organisms.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants and plant-like organisms produce their own food using carbon dioxide and water, driven by light.

Chloroplasts

Cell organelles where photosynthesis takes place in plants.

ATP

A molecule that stores and transfers energy in cells, produced during photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Glucose

A simple sugar produced during photosynthesis, used as energy by almost all organisms.

Oxygen gas (O2)

A product of photosynthesis that is essential for aerobic cellular respiration in animals and other organisms.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own organic molecules (sugar), forming the base of food chains.

Aerobic cellular respiration

The process of oxidizing glucose with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP.

Glycolysis

The first step in glucose oxidation that breaks glucose into two molecules of pyruvate and produces ATP.

Lactic acid fermentation

An anaerobic process where glucose is broken down into lactic acid due to insufficient oxygen.

Alcohol fermentation

An anaerobic process where glucose is converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide, primarily by yeast.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis.

Carotenoids

Accessory pigments in plants that help absorb light energy and have protective roles.

Xanthophylls

A type of carotenoid pigment that reflects yellow light and is involved in photosynthesis.

Chromatography

A separation technique used to separate substances based on their solubility in a solvent.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument used to measure the amount of light absorbed by a sample at specific wavelengths.

Absorption spectrum

A graph showing the wavelengths of light absorbed by chlorophyll and other pigments.

Ethanol

The type of alcohol produced during alcohol fermentation.

Mitochondria

Cell organelles where aerobic cellular respiration occurs, generating ATP.

Anaerobic

Referring to processes that occur without oxygen.

Chemical energy

Energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, like glucose, used by cells.

Active transport

The process by which cells move substances across membranes against their concentration gradient, requiring energy.

Photosynthetic pigments

Molecules in plants that absorb light for photosynthesis, including chlorophyll and carotenoids.

Light reactions

The first stage of photosynthesis where light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

Calvin cycle

The second stage of photosynthesis where ATP and NADPH are used to synthesize glucose from carbon dioxide.

Pyruvate

The end product of glycolysis; it can be further oxidized in aerobic cellular respiration.

Fermentation

The anaerobic breakdown of glucose that produces energy and byproducts like lactic acid or ethanol.

Krebs cycle

A series of chemical reactions in aerobic respiration that generates ATP and electron carriers from pyruvate.

Oxidative phosphorylation

The final stage of cellular respiration that generates ATP using energy from electrons transported through the electron transport chain.

Reactants of photosynthesis

Carbon dioxide and water, which are converted into glucose and oxygen during photosynthesis.

Products of cellular respiration

Carbon dioxide, water, and ATP, produced when glucose is oxidized.

Solubility

The ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent.

Bromothymol blue

An indicator that turns yellow in the presence of carbon dioxide, used to demonstrate fermentation.

Kingdom Fungi

A classification that includes organisms like yeast that can perform fermentation.

Photosynthesis equation

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light -> C6H12O6 + 6 O2.

Cellular respiration equation

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 -> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ATP.

Energy yield of aerobic respiration

32 ATP produced per glucose molecule oxidized.

Energy yield of anaerobic respiration

2 ATP produced per glucose molecule oxidized.

Capillary tube

A small tube used to transport liquids, often used to apply samples in chromatography.

Mortar and pestle

A tool used to grind substances into a fine paste or powder, often used to extract pigments.

Solvent front

The leading edge of a solvent as it moves through chromatography paper.

Photosynthetic organisms

Organisms, primarily plants, that perform photosynthesis to capture light energy.

Proteins

Large molecules made up of amino acids that perform various functions in cells and are a source of chemical energy.

Lipids

Fats and oils that serve as energy storage molecules in the body.

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds made of sugar molecules that provide energy to cells.