Photosynthesis Overview

Flashcards covering key concepts and vocabulary related to the process of photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants, some bacteria, and some protistans use sunlight to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water.

Chlorophyll

The green pigment in plants responsible for absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis.

Accessory pigments

Pigments such as chlorophyll b, xanthophylls, and carotenoids that absorb light energy not captured by chlorophyll a.

Stomata

Small openings on the leaf surface that allow the exchange of gases (CO2 and oxygen) between the leaf and the environment.

Xylem vessels

Specialized plant cells that transport water from the roots to the leaves.

Light-dependent reactions

Reactions that occur in the thylakoids of chloroplasts, using sunlight to produce ATP and NADPH.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The energy carrier molecule produced during the light-dependent reactions.

NADPH (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate)

An electron carrier produced in the light-dependent reactions used in the Calvin cycle.

Calvin Cycle

The set of light-independent reactions in photosynthesis where CO2 is fixed into carbohydrates.

Photolysis

The splitting of water molecules to produce oxygen, hydrogen ions, and electrons during the light-dependent reactions.

Cyclic phosphorylation

A process involving Photosystem I that generates additional ATP without producing NADPH.

Non-cyclic phosphorylation

The process during photosynthesis that produces ATP and NADPH by transferring electrons from water to NADP.