Term | Definition |
Photosynthesis | the conversion of light energy into chemical energy in plants |
Light Dependent Reactions | use light energy to produce ATP and to split water molecules into H+ ions |
Light Independent Reactions | Calvin Cycle, uses ATP and H+ ions to 'fix' CO2. makes glucose |
Condensation | The process where monosaccharides are combined to make carbohydrates |
Pigment | absorb useful wavelengths of light that contain energy appropriate for photolysis in light dependent reactions |
Chlorophyll | A chemical pigment that changes the color of reflected light stored in chloroplasts |
Action Spectrum | indicates which wavelengths of light can be used by a plant for photosynthesis |
Absorption Spectrum | The spectrum used to measure absorption where various wavelengths of light represent different colors of light |
Wavelength | The distance between successive crests of a wave |
Light | electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye |
Photolysis | The splitting or decomposition of a chemical compound by means of light energy or photons |
Chloroplast | plastid containing chlorophyll and other pigments |
Stroma | A thick fluid between grana where various enzymes, molecules, and ions are found, and where the dark reaction of photosynthesis occurs |
Thylakoid | A disk-like structure in the chloroplast that contains chlorophyll and is where the light dependent reaction occurs |
Grana | A stack of thylakoids within the chloroplast of plant cells |
Lumen | The channel within a tube |
Cytochrome | Changes mitochondria into chloroplast |
Non-cyclic Photophosphorylation | light dependent, an electron donor is required, oxygen is produced as a waste product. It consists of two photoreactions, resulting in the synthesis of ATP and NADPH2 |
Cyclic Photophosphorylation | an electron is excited by light and is used to transform ADP into ATP. The same electron can be used to repeat the process |
Photosystem I | makes use of light to transfer electrons and whose reaction center chlorophyll is P700 |
Photosystem II | absorbs light for use to drive the oxidation of water and the reduction of plastoquinone, and whose reaction center chlorophyll is P680 |
Photoactivation | The initial stage of photosynthesis in chlorophyll molecules where the presence of light energy raises the total energy |
Chemiosmosis | The movement of ions from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through transport proteins to create a concentration gradient |
Ribulose Biphosphate | (RuBP) A 5 carbon ketose sugar found in the Calvin Cycle |
Glycerate-3-phosphate | (G3P) A phosphorylated three-carbon sugar that is an intermediate in the Calvin Cycle |
Triose Phosphate | A compound derived from G3P in the light independent reaction and will be used to create glucose |
Adenosine Triphosphate | (ATP) An organic compound composed of adenosine and 3 phosphates and is the energy molecule for the cell |
Limiting Factor | A factor present in an environment that controls a process |