AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Bio Photosynthesis Review Flashcards

Photosynthesis

Terms : Hide Images
6139685919photosynthesis (definition)process of harnessing light energy to build carbohydrates in autotrophs (ex. plants, cyanobacteria)0
6139685920photosynthesis (equation)6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy --> C6H12O6 + 6 O21
6139685921autotrophorganism that CAN capture energy from sunlight and uses CO₂ and other inorganic raw materials to produce its own food (producer)2
6139685922heterotrophorganism that CANNOT produce its own food and therefore obtains it by consuming other living things (consumer)3
6139685923light-dependent reactions1st step of photosynthesis during which light energy is captured and used to synthesize ATP and NADPH4
6139685924light-independent reactions2nd step of photosynthesis during which CO2 is incorporated into a sugar molecule using ATP and NADPH produced during the first step5
6139685925thylakoid membranes of chloroplastslocation of light-dependent reactions6
6139685926stroma of chloroplastslocation of light-independent reactions7
6139685928photon(1) quantum (discrete quantity) of electromagnetic radiation (light energy) with both wave and particle properties8
6139685931pigmentssubstances that can absorb, reflect, or transmit light9
6139685933action spectrumgraph of a plant's photosynthesis rate at different wavelengths of light10
6139685934violet, blue and redWhich wavelengths of the visible light spectrum do chlorophylls ABSORB?11
6139685935green and yellowWhich wavelengths of the visible light spectrum do chlorophylls REFLECT?12
6139685936carotenoidsaccessory pigments in chloroplasts that broaden the spectrum of colors used in photosynthesis (absorb green/blue but reflect red/yellow/orange)13
6139685937mesophyll(C) ground tissue of a leaf, sandwiched between upper and lower epidermis that specializes in photosynthesis14
6139685940excited state(7) when absorbed photon energy causes electron to move away from nucleus15
6139685941photosystems(6) photosynthetic pigments embedded with protein complexes in the thylakoid membrane16
6139685945photosystem II (PS II)1st of two light harvesting units in thylakoid membrane that passes excited electrons to reaction-center chlorophyll17
6139685946primary electron acceptor(2) electrons from the reaction-center in thylakoid membranes are transferred to this molecule18
6139685947watersplitting this molecule replaces electrons which are excited and passed to primary electron acceptor in PSII19
6139685948O2released as a byproduct of splitting water20
6139685949photosystem I (PS I)2nd of two light-capturing units in thylakoid membranes that replaces its electrons by those from the 1st complex and results in production of NADPH21
6139685951ATP synthaseenzyme that synthesies ATP by utilizing a proton-motive force22
6139685952Calvin cycle, dark reactions, and carbon fixationother names for light independent reactions23
61396859533 steps of light independent reaction1. carbon fixation 2. reduction 3. regeneration of RuBP24
6139685954reductionstep in Calvin cycle that produces sugar G3P25
6139685955carbon dioxidemolecule reduced in Calvin cycle to produce sugar26
6139685956thylakoids(C) flattened membranous sacs inside chloroplasts that contain systems which convert light energy to chemical energy27
6139685957absorbedenergy is ____________ in photosynthesis; it is an anabolic reaction28
6139685958releasedenergy is _____________ in cellular respiration; it is a catabolic reaction29
6139685959glucose and oxygenreactants of cellular respiration30
6139685960carbon dioxide and waterreactants of photosynthesis31
6139685963thylakoid spacesite of proton gradient built up in photosynthesis32
6139685966NADP+high energy electron carrier(s ) before reduction in photosynthesis (after they drop off electrons for Calvin cycle)33
6139685967NADPHhigh energy electron carrier(s ) after reduction in photosynthesis (after they pick up electrons from ETC)34
6139685969ATP and NADPHenergy product(s) from ETC in photosynthesis35
6139685971H2Oreactant(s) oxidized in photosynthesis (source of electrons)36
6139685972cyclic electron flowlight dependent reactions using only photosystem I to pump protons and generate excess ATP (not NADPH)37
6139685973linear electron flow (noncyclic)light dependent reactions involving both photosystems; electrons from H2O are used to reduce NADP to NADPH38
6139685974rubiscoenzyme with affinity for both CO2 and O2 that catalyzes first step of Calvin cycle by adding CO2 to ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP)39
6139685975PEP carboxylaseenzyme with great affinity for CO2 (gas) adds it to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to form oxaloacetate (4-carbon solid) prior to photosynthesis40
6139685976stomatapore-like openings on underside of leaves that allow gases (CO2 and O2) and water to diffuse in and out41
6139685977bundle-sheath cellstightly packed around the veins of a leaf (site of Calvin cycle in C4 plants)42
6139685978photorespirationoccurs on hot, dry days when stomata close, O2 accumulates and Rubisco fixes O2 rather than CO2, using up ATP, O2 and sugars43
6139685979C3 plantsdo not separately fix CO2 and use Rubisco in Calvin Cycle44
6139685980C4 plantsspatially separate carbon fixation (mesophyll cells) from Calvin Cycle (bundle-sheath cells); use PEP carboxylase instead of Rubisco to fix CO245
6139685981CAM plants(crassulacean acid metabolism) temporal adaptation, open stomata during the night, closed during day. store organic acids made during night in vacuoles; use PEP carboxylase instead of Rubisco to fix CO246
6139685984photoautotrophplants that use energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbon compounds.47
6139685985chlorophyllthe green pigment located within chloroplasts. It absorbs light energy to drive the synthesis of food molecules in the chloroplast.48
6139685988stromathick fluid contained in the inner membrane of a chloroplast, surrounding thylakoids membranes.49
6139685989photosynthesisprocess by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches 6CO₂ + 12H₂O + Light Energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ + 6H₂O50
6139685994photophosphorylationThe process of generating ATP from ADP and phosphate by means of a proton-motive force generated by the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast during the light reactions of photosynthesis.51
6139685995Calvin cyclecarbon fixation using energy from ATP and NADPH from the light reactions to produce a three carbon sugar, happens in stroma.52
6139685996carbon fixationincorporating CO₂ from the atmosphere into organic molecules from the chloroplast53
6139685998RuBPribulose biphosphate; the molecule that CO2 binds to when entering the Calvin cycle54
6139686002spectrometera machine that measures the ability of a pigment to absorb various wavelengths of light55
6139686003absorption spectruma graph plotting a pigments light absorption versus wavelength. (a) shows the absorption of each chlorophyll56
6139686004chlorophyll afirst type of pigment in chloroplasts, participate directly in light reactions; works best with blue and red light, blue-green57
6139686005chlorophyll baccessory pigment; almost identical to chlorophyll a, but slightly different absorption spectra, yellow-green58
6139686011photosystem IIfirst photosystem, center is p680, takes in H₂O, splits and leaves out 1/2 O₂ and takes 2 e⁻, excites electrons and sends to primary acceptor59
6139686013photosystem Itakes e⁻ from ETC and excites them (uses light), gives them to primary acceptor in noncyclic, go down ETC again60
6139686014noncyclic electron flowA route of electron flow during the light reactions of photosynthesis that involves both photosystems and produces ATP, NADPH, and oxygen. The net electron flow is from water to NADP+.61
6139686019C₃ plantsproduce less food when their stomata close on hot/dry days.62
6139686021C₄ plantscorn, sugarcane, grass. forms a four carbon sugar, contains bundle sheath and mesophyll cells. spacial separation of steps63
6139686022bundle-sheath cellarranged into tightly packed sheaths around the veins of the leaf. CO₂ is released and enters the calvin cycle64
6139686023mesophyll cellmore loosely arranged between bundle-sheath and leaf surface. takes in CO₂, fixed by PEP carboxylase65

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!