Photosynthesis Overview and Mechanism
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Questions and Answers

What are autotrophs?

  • Organisms that can only live in water
  • Organisms that cannot make their own food
  • Organisms that get energy from other organisms
  • Organisms that can make their own food from the sun (correct)

    • What do heterotrophs do?

  • They can make their own food from the sun
  • They cannot make their own food from the sun (correct)
  • They get energy through photosynthesis
  • They only eat plants

    • Plants and some other types of organisms are able to use __________ to produce food.

    light energy from the sun

    What is ATP?

    <p>Adenosine triphosphate - used by cells as their basic energy source.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The characteristics of ATP make it exceptionally useful as _________________

    <p>the basic energy source of all cells</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is photosynthesis?

    <p>Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who discovered that plants release oxygen?

    <p>Priestley.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Photosynthesis uses _______________ to convert _______________ and _____________ into high energy sugars and oxygen.

    <p>energy of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In addition to water and carbon dioxide, photosynthesis requires _________ and ______________, a molecule in chloroplasts.

    <p>light, chlorophyll</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are pigments?

    <p>Colored chemical compounds that absorb light.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the principal pigment in plants that absorbs light?

    <p>Chlorophyll.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are thylakoids?

    <p>Saclike photosynthetic membranes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are photosystems?

    <p>Light-collecting units of the chloroplast.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the stroma?

    <p>The region outside the thylakoid membranes in the chloroplast.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is NADP+?

    <p>(Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) a carrier molecule for transferring high-energy electrons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do light-dependent reactions produce?

    <p>Oxygen gas and convert ADP and NADP+ into ATP and NADPH.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A membrane protein called _________________________ allows H+ ions to pass through the thylakoid membrane.

    <p>ATP Synthase</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Calvin cycle?

    <p>A cycle in photosynthesis where plants use the energy from the light-dependent reactions to build high-energy sugars.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where does photosynthesis take place?

    <p>In the chloroplast.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Light-independent reactions (The Calvin process) take place ___________

    <p>Within the stroma.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Light-dependent reactions take place ___________

    <p>Within the thylakoid membrane.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does ATP power?

    <p>Active transport across cell membranes, protein synthesis, and muscle contraction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does chlorophyll a absorb?

    <p>Light in the blue-violet and red regions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does chlorophyll b absorb?

    <p>Light in the blue and red regions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do plants look green?

    <p>Green light is reflected by leaves.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is electron transport?

    <p>The process where an electron carrier molecule takes a pair of high-energy electrons and transfers them to another molecule.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the electron transport chain?

    <p>Electron carrier molecules.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is ATP made up of?

    <p>Adenine, ribose (5-carbon sugar), and 3 phosphate groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is ADP?

    <p>Has only 2 phosphate groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do light-dependent reactions produce?

    <p>Oxygen gas and convert ADP and NADP+ into ATP and NADPH.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can H+ ions not do?

    <p>They can't cross the membrane directly.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What starts the photosynthesis process?

    <p>The role of photosystem II.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What reenergizes high-energy electrons?

    <p>The role of photosystem I.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Calvin cycle use?

    <p>The Calvin cycle uses 6 molecules to produce a single 6-carbon sugar molecule.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can slow or stop photosynthesis?

    <p>Shortage of water, temperature, and the intensity of light.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Photosynthesis Overview

    • Autotrophs produce their own food using sunlight, while heterotrophs depend on other organisms for energy.
    • Light energy from the sun is essential for photosynthesis, which converts this energy into chemical energy.

    Key Components of Photosynthesis

    • ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the primary energy carrier in cells, critical for various biological functions.
    • Photosynthesis involves converting light energy into ATP and NADPH through light-dependent reactions, which produce oxygen gas as a byproduct.
    • The overall equation for photosynthesis: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂.

    Structures Involved in Photosynthesis

    • Chlorophyll is the principal pigment that absorbs light, working effectively in blue-violet and red regions of the spectrum.
    • Thylakoids, sac-like membranes within chloroplasts, house the photosystems, which are essential for capturing light energy.
    • The stroma is the fluid-filled area surrounding thylakoids where the Calvin cycle occurs, utilizing energy from light reactions to produce glucose.

    The Light-Dependent Reactions

    • Light-dependent reactions occur within the thylakoid membrane and rely on sunlight to energize electron transport chains, producing ATP and NADPH.
    • ATP synthase, a membrane protein, facilitates the passage of H+ ions, ultimately generating ATP.
    • The reactions also produce oxygen gas, which is released into the atmosphere.

    The Calvin Cycle

    • The Calvin cycle uses energy from ATP and NADPH generated in light-dependent reactions to convert carbon dioxide into high-energy sugars.
    • This cycle occurs in the stroma and involves the fixation of CO₂ to produce glucose.

    Pigment and Light Interaction

    • Chlorophyll absorbs light efficiently, but does not absorb green light well, causing plants to appear green as this light is reflected.
    • Pigments play a crucial role in absorbing various wavelengths of light necessary for photosynthesis.

    Influencing Factors

    • The rate of photosynthesis can be affected by water availability, temperature, and light intensity.
    • Light-harvesting complexes collect light energy and pass it to reaction centers in photosystems for further processes.

    Additional Insights

    • NADP+ functions as an electron carrier, transferring high-energy electrons from chlorophyll to other molecules.
    • Understanding the role of photosystems I and II helps in grasping how light energy is transformed into chemical energy. Photosystem II initiates the process while Photosystem I re-energizes the electrons.

    Summary of Energy Forms

    • ATP is often compared to a fully charged battery, while ADP represents a partially charged state.
    • ATP provides energy for cellular functions, including active transport, protein synthesis, and muscle contraction.

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    Description

    Explore the complex process of photosynthesis, from how autotrophs produce energy to the key components involved such as ATP and chlorophyll. Delve into the light-dependent reactions and understand the significance of thylakoids and stroma in this crucial biological process.

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