Photosynthesis_ An Overview

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Photosynthesis Noun

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[foh-toh-sin-thuh-sis]

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Photosynthesis

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The process plants use to convert light energy, water, and carbon dioxide into chemical energy in the form of sugars.

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Example: This diagram shows how a plant uses energy from sunlight, water from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the air to create its own food (glucose) and release oxygen.

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Pigment Noun

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[pig-muhnt]

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Pigment

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A light-absorbing compound that photosynthetic organisms use to capture energy from sunlight, giving them their characteristic color.

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Example: Pigments are molecules that give plants their color; for example, chlorophyll makes leaves green, while other pigments like carotenes make them yellow.

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Chlorophyll Noun

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[klawr-uh-fil]

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Chlorophyll

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The principal green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy, making it essential for the process of photosynthesis.

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Example: This diagram shows chlorophyll is the green substance inside a leaf that is essential for photosynthesis, the process that makes food for the plant.

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Carotene Noun

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[kar-uh-teen]

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Carotene

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A red or orange accessory pigment in plants that absorbs light in spectral regions where chlorophyll is less efficient.

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Example: This graph shows that carotenoids, a type of plant pigment, absorb blue and green light for photosynthesis but reflect yellow and orange light.

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Chloroplast Noun

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[klawr-uh-plast]

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Chloroplast

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An organelle in plant cells where photosynthesis occurs, containing chlorophyll and other components necessary for converting light into energy.

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Example: This diagram shows a chloroplast, the part of a plant cell where photosynthesis happens, and labels its key structures like the thylakoid and stroma.

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Thylakoid Noun

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[thy-luh-koyd]

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Thylakoid

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Saclike membranes within a chloroplast that contain chlorophyll and are the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

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Example: This diagram shows a thylakoid as a green, disc-shaped structure inside a chloroplast, where they are stacked together to form a granum.

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Stroma Noun

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[stroh-muh]

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Stroma

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The fluid-filled space surrounding the thylakoids inside a chloroplast, where the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis take place.

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Example: This diagram shows the inside of a chloroplast, where photosynthesis happens. The stroma is the jelly-like fluid that fills the chloroplast, surrounding the green discs.

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Granum Noun

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[grah-nuhm]

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Granum

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A stack of interconnected thylakoids located inside a chloroplast, which increases the surface area for photosynthesis to occur.

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Example: This diagram shows that a granum is a stack of green discs (thylakoids) found inside a chloroplast, the part of a plant cell where photosynthesis happens.

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Electron Carrier Noun

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[ih-lek-tron kar-ee-er]

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Electron Carrier

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A compound that accepts a pair of high-energy electrons and transfers them, along with their energy, to another molecule.

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Example: The image shows the overall chemical equation for cellular respiration occurring inside a simplified diagram of a human cell.

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NADP+ Noun

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[en-ay-dee-pee-plus]

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NADP+

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An electron carrier molecule that accepts and holds two high-energy electrons and a hydrogen ion, becoming NADPH in photosynthesis.

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Example: This diagram shows NADP+ acting as an electron carrier in photosynthesis, accepting an electron to become the energy-storing molecule NADPH within the chloroplast.