Climate Change and Photosynthesis Quiz

The process by which plants, and other organisms, convert light energy into chemical energy stored in organic molecules, using carbon dioxide and water as inputs.

Organisms that can produce their own food through processes like photosynthesis.

A type of autotroph that uses light energy to produce food. Examples include plants and algae.

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and must consume other organisms to obtain energy.

The main energy source for Earth's ecosystems; ultimately powering most life.

Organelles within plant cells where photosynthesis takes place.

The organic molecule produced in photosynthesis; acts as a vital energy source and building block for plants.

The gas released as a by-product of photosynthesis, essential for many living organisms.

The process that uses light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen.

A series of reactions in photosynthesis that capture light energy and convert it to chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

A series of reactions in photosynthesis that use the energy from ATP and NADPH to convert carbon dioxide into glucose.

A molecule that carries high-energy electrons, produced in the light reactions and used in the Calvin cycle.

The molecule that carries the energy needed for various cellular processes, produced in the light reactions and used in the Calvin cycle.

The process of incorporating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into organic molecules, specifically during the Calvin cycle.

The splitting of water molecules during the light reactions, releasing electrons and oxygen as a byproduct.

A pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light energy, crucial for photosynthesis.

The energy source for photosynthesis, a type of electromagnetic radiation that travels in waves.

The range of all electromagnetic radiation, from short gamma rays to long radio waves.

The distance between two crests of a wave, used to classify different types of electromagnetic radiation.

The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see, ranging from violet to red.

The process where energy is released by breaking down glucose and other organic molecules, producing ATP and releasing carbon dioxide.

The process of transferring electrons between molecules, with energy released or absorbed.

A series of membrane-bound proteins that transport electrons during cellular respiration and photosynthesis, releasing energy.

Light can act like a wave and bend at different angles depending on its wavelength. Shorter wavelengths bend more.

Packets of energy that make up light, with shorter wavelengths having more energy.

Pigments are molecules that absorb specific wavelengths of light and reflect or transmit others. The color we see is the reflected or transmitted light.

Chlorophyll a is the primary pigment in photosynthesis. It absorbs mostly blue-violet and red light.

Chlorophyll b absorbs mostly blue and orange light, expanding the light range a plant can use.

Carotenoids are pigments that absorb and dissipate excessive light energy, protecting chlorophyll from damage.

When a pigment absorbs light, an electron jumps to a higher energy level, becoming excited, then quickly releases energy as heat or light.

The process by which pigments emit light after absorbing a photon, releasing energy as heat and light.

Chlorophyll molecules are organized into clusters called photosystems, which include light-harvesting complexes and a reaction-center complex.

Light harvesting complexes in photosystems contain various pigments that absorb light over a wider range of wavelengths.

The reaction-center complex in photosystems contains chlorophyll a molecules that capture light energy and a primary electron acceptor.

A molecule in the reaction-center complex that accepts electrons from chlorophyll a, starting the conversion of light energy to chemical energy.

The process of capturing light energy and converting it into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

The main products of the light reactions, used to power the Calvin cycle, which produces sugars.

The fluid-filled space within a chloroplast that surrounds the thylakoids, containing enzymes involved in the synthesis of sugars during photosynthesis.

A system of interconnected sacs within the chloroplast, containing chlorophyll and other photosynthetic molecules.

Stacks of thylakoids within a chloroplast, increasing surface area for light absorption and maximizing photosynthetic efficiency.

Tiny pores on the surface of leaves that allow for the exchange of gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2), during photosynthesis.

The set of reactions in photosynthesis that utilize light energy to convert water and ADP to oxygen, ATP, and NADPH. Occurs within the thylakoid membranes.

The set of reactions in photosynthesis that use the energy stored in ATP and NADPH from light-dependent reactions to convert carbon dioxide into glucose (sugar). Occurs within the stroma.

A heavy isotope of oxygen with two extra neutrons, used in experiments to trace the path of oxygen during photosynthesis.

An experiment that uses labeled isotopes to follow the fate of atoms through a chemical process, helping to understand the mechanisms of the reaction.

The process of using light energy to drive the synthesis of organic compounds, typically glucose from carbon dioxide and water.

The internal compartment enclosed by the thylakoid membrane, where ATP and NADPH are produced during light-dependent reactions.

The arrangement of structures and their functions to perform a specific task, such as the thylakoids and stroma working together for photosynthesis.

A natural process where greenhouse gases like CO2, water vapor, and methane trap heat radiating from Earth, keeping it warm enough for life.

The increase in Earth's average temperature caused by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels.

A long-term, directional change in global climate patterns lasting for at least three decades.

Gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

The process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and storing it in plant biomass.

A global agreement adopted in 2015 aiming to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

A series of changes to Earth's climate system, including rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased extreme weather events.

Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Protecting and expanding forests to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, helping to mitigate climate change.

The main enzyme responsible for carbon fixation in the Calvin cycle. It combines CO2 with RuBP to start the cycle.

The process where plants fix CO2 directly from the air, resulting in a three-carbon compound as the first stable product.

The process where plants close their stomata, reducing CO2 levels and allowing O2 to build up, leading to the enzyme Rubisco attaching O2 to RuBP instead of CO2, resulting in a less productive reaction.

Plants that fix CO2 into a four-carbon compound initially, a pathway that helps them minimize photorespiration in hot, dry conditions. Examples include corn and sugarcane.

A photosynthetic adaptation found in plants like pineapple and cacti, where CO2 is initially fixed into a four-carbon molecule at night and released during the day, allowing the Calvin cycle to operate even with closed stomata during the day.

The starting material in the Calvin cycle, which is a five-carbon sugar.

The Calvin cycle must turn three times to produce one molecule of G3P.

A five-carbon sugar that is regenerated at the end of the Calvin cycle, allowing the cycle to continue.

The process where plants use a specific enzyme to fix carbon in the mesophyll cells, and then transport it to bundle-sheath cells for the Calvin cycle, minimizing photorespiration.

Plants that adapt to hot, dry climates by opening their stomata at night to fix CO2 and storing it as a four-carbon compound, which is then used for the Calving cycle during the day.

The Calvin cycle, C4, and CAM pathways all ultimately aim to produce sugar from CO2, with C4 and CAM being adaptations to minimize photorespiration.

The Calvin cycle is a cyclic process, just like the citric acid cycle in cellular respiration.

C3 plants have a lower photosynthetic efficiency in hot, dry conditions compared to C4 and CAM plants due to photorespiration.

Photosystem I and Photosystem II, both involved in the light reactions of photosynthesis. Photosystem II functions first.

A special complex within each type of photosystem that plays a key role in capturing light energy and transferring excited electrons.

Light energy excites an electron in chlorophyll a within the reaction center, pushing it to a higher energy state. This excited electron is then captured by the primary electron acceptor.

A molecule within a photosystem that receives the excited electron from chlorophyll a. It prevents the electron from immediately returning to its ground state.

An arrangement of photosystems II and I in the thylakoid membrane, linked together by an electron transport chain. This system facilitates the flow of electrons and generates ATP and NADPH.

The movement of electrons through a series of membrane-bound proteins, releasing energy that can be used for ATP production.

The molecule that accepts the final electron from the electron transport chain, becoming reduced to NADPH. NADPH is a key energy carrier used in the Calvin cycle.

A process by which the energy of a proton gradient across a membrane is used to generate ATP. This process is similar to that in cellular respiration.

The production of ATP through the use of light energy. It involves electron transport chain and chemiosmosis.

Water is the source of electrons used to reduce NADP+ to NADPH in the light reactions. The splitting of water produces O2 as a byproduct.

Photosystem II, the electron transport chain, photosystem I, and ATP synthase work together within the thylakoid membrane to generate ATP and NADPH.

The light reactions of photosynthesis take place in the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts, where the photosystems and electron transport chain are located.

The energy carriers ATP and NADPH that are produced in the light reactions are essential inputs for the Calvin cycle.

The final product of photosynthesis, a simple sugar that serves as a primary energy source for plants and other organisms.

The second stage of photosynthesis where carbon dioxide is converted into sugar using energy from ATP and NADPH.

A high-energy molecule produced during the light-dependent reactions, used to power carbohydrate synthesis in the Calvin cycle.

A high-energy molecule produced during the light-dependent reactions, used to reduce carbon dioxide to sugar in the Calvin cycle.

The enzyme that combines carbon dioxide and RuBP in the first step of the Calvin cycle, crucial for carbon fixation.

A five-carbon molecule that combines with carbon dioxide in the first step of the Calvin cycle.

A three-carbon molecule produced in the Calvin cycle, which can be used to synthesize glucose and other organic molecules.

The process by which plants use stored energy from sugars to fuel their growth and development.

A polymer of glucose that acts as a storage form of energy in plants.

A structural polysaccharide that makes up plant cell walls.

The ability of plants to grow and produce more biomass in the presence of increased levels of carbon dioxide.

A long-term experiment where elevated levels of carbon dioxide are released into an intact forest ecosystem to study the impact on plant growth and other ecological factors.

A toxic compound produced by poison ivy that causes allergic reactions.