Photosynthesis Overview and Chloroplast Anatomy

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants to convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of glucose.

Chlorophyll is a pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light energy, particularly in the red and blue wavelengths.

Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells where photosynthesis takes place. They contain chlorophyll and other components necessary for the process.

Chlorophyll A and B are the main pigments involved in absorbing light energy. Carotenoids are accessory pigments that absorb light in different wavelengths, extending the range of light used for photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis takes place in two main stages: the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle).

The light-dependent reactions use light energy to produce ATP and NADPH, which are energy carriers used in the Calvin cycle.

The Calvin cycle uses the energy carriers (ATP and NADPH) produced in the light-dependent reactions to convert carbon dioxide into glucose.

The site within chloroplasts where cyclic photophosphorylation takes place.

A process in photosynthesis where light energy is used to generate ATP.

A type of photophosphorylation that utilizes a single photosystem (PSI) and produces ATP only. It involves electrons cycling back through the electron transport chain.

The first stage of photosynthesis where light energy is converted into chemical energy.

The second stage of photosynthesis where CO2 is fixed into sugars. It occurs in the stroma of chloroplasts.

The enzyme responsible for catalyzing the first step in the Calvin Cycle, where CO2 is fixed onto RuBP.

The initial molecule that CO2 is attached to in the Calvin Cycle, starting the process of carbon fixation.

A 3-carbon compound generated in the Calvin Cycle, which serves as a building block for glucose.

The process that regenerates RuBP, allowing the Calvin cycle to continue.

The outermost layer of a chloroplast, regulating the passage of substances into and out of the organelle.

Stacks of interconnected thylakoid membranes, forming the site of light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis.

Flattened, disc-shaped sacs within the chloroplast, responsible for capturing light energy and converting it to chemical energy.

The membrane surrounding the thylakoid, where the electron transport chain (ETC) takes place during non-cyclic photophosphorylation.

The space within the thylakoid, where the process of photolysis (water splitting) occurs, and protons (H+ ions) accumulate during the electron transport chain.

The space between the outer and inner membranes of a chloroplast.

The inner most layer of a chloroplast, controlling the movement of substances in and out of the stroma.

The fluid-filled space within the chloroplast, where the Calvin cycle (light-independent reactions) takes place.

The process where light energy absorbed by chlorophyll molecules excites electrons, which then transfer to an electron transport chain.